Air Force One along with two other U.S. government aircraft, crew, and support personnel visited Curacao over the past weekend in support of United States President Barack Obama’s and United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s April 13-15 participation in the Summit of the Americas in Cartegena, Colombia.
President Obama and Secretary Clinton did not visit Curacao as part of their itinerary. With over 30 heads of state from all over Latin America and the Caribbean attending the Summit of the Americas, the airport in Cartegena did not have enough room to stage all the Presidential aircraft. So, the U.S. Forward Operating Location (USFOL) and Hato International Airport were chosen to serve as the staging point for U.S. government aircraft.
The presence of these aircraft in Curacao was coordinated with Kingdom officials in The Hague as well as government officials in Curacao and was not publicly announced publicly beforehand for security reasons.
The Summit of the America’s theme this year was “Connecting the Americas: Partners for Prosperity.” That spirit of partnership is clearly evident in the ongoing close cooperation among the USFOL, Hato International Airport, the U.S. Consulate General in Curacao, and the Government of Curacao.
U.S. Consul General Valerie Belon said “On behalf of President Obama, Secretary Clinton and the U.S. Government, I am extremely thankful for the support and gracious hospitality that Hato International Airport as well as the Government and people of Curacao gave to these important aircraft, crew and support personnel. The welcome they received in Curacao was invaluable in making this mission a success and are testimony to the longstanding friendship and bilateral cooperation between our two nations.”