Prime Minister Rob Jetten was briefly hospitalised on Bonaire after being pricked or stung while swimming on Tuesday morning. He experienced an allergic reaction, though no serious injuries were reported. Authorities have not yet determined what caused the incident.
Jetten later posted about the incident on Twitter. “After a severe allergic reaction, I had to be admitted to hospital for a few hours. Thanks to the excellent care from Fundashon Mariadal, I’m feeling much better and can resume my working visit to Bonaire with a slightly adjusted schedule.”
Jetten was unable to attend a planned visit to the Public Entity for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, where Greenpeace intended to hold a protest over the government’s appeal against a court ruling requiring stronger Dutch action to protect Bonaire from climate change. He also missed a breakfast meeting with the island’s executive board.
Despite the changes, Rob Jetten was able to partially resume his schedule around midday with a meeting with the island council of Bonaire. During the meeting, he received an official petition handed to him by the council members.
The visit to Bonaire is part of a broader week-long tour of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Before arriving on Bonaire, he had already visited Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius, and he is scheduled to continue on to Aruba and Curaçao.
The cancelled visit to the agricultural service, along with planned protests by Greenpeace, highlights the political sensitivity of the issue. Local residents and environmental groups are urging the Dutch government in The Hague to step up efforts to safeguard Bonaire against the effects of rising sea levels.
Ironically, Rob Jetten had, in his previous role as Minister for Climate and Energy, commissioned the study on climate change in Bonaire himself. Nolly Oleana, the author of this critical climate report, had planned to formally present the document to him during this visit.
