NYTIMES/ SIMON ROMERO/ Curacao is just 40 miles from Venezuela’s coast which makes President Hugo Chávez nervous. He has repeatedly claimed that the Dutch government is letting Washington use the island as a base for possible attacks on Venezuela. Chavez levels these charges months before Curaçao, heavily dependent on trade with Venezuela, gains more autonomy from the Netherlands. The American military have used the airport for drug interdiction since 2000. The agreement expires this year and the Dutch say they plan to approve a five-year extension.
