YOU READ THE STRANGEST THINGS IN THE NEWSPAPER. The Consul General of Venezuela recently hosted an economic summit in Aruba, with that country’s new MinEcon in attendance. Jesus Geerman Faria Tortosa suffered 4 months from hell on the job, since he was nominated to run that failing economy. So he came to Aruba to meet the local business community for powwows at the Holiday Inn to so-called ask them to invest in Venezuela. You gotta give this guy a 10 for chutzpah, shameless audacity, for coming here and soliciting business for an anti-business regime.
It felt like a networking opportunity, says Frederick Nuboer, who was in the room, I don’t think he seriously thought we would drop everything and run to the Republica Bolivariana to invest. The room was filled with Venezuelan entrepreneurs who wish to establish here, and that was a platform where they could rub shoulders with our local MinEcon and MinLabor, who were guests on the conference. Then Nuboer, asked Jesus to show him the money. Apparently, Venezuela is holding 28 or 29 million dollars of his company money hostage, money which belongs to InselAir, from ticket sales in Venezuela before 2015. Jesus couldn’t perform the miracle of the cash, all he could say was that the government is working on that challenge, and while they are liberalizing some industries, aviation is excluded. It is good to note that effective 2015, Insel Air was allowed to sell its tickets in Venezuela, in dollars, but the money from prior sales is stuck. Then a feisty member of the audience got up, and admitted she was breaking the law every day, importing goods from Venezuela, and that she was tired of the red tape and the ridiculousness of the process. Dear Readers: You should understand that more than 2 decades ago, Venezuela enforced a “Venezuela for Venezuelans policy,” since the country was not producing enough goods, an anti-export policy was introduced. That anti-export policy is now being somewhat modified because Venezuela is seeking alternative sources of income. All because of what? Because the oil industry tanked. I have to say that I admire Nuboer for his considerable cool and restraint. If someone’d be holding MY 28 or 29 million dollars hostage, I would be throwing my shoes at them.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX NIEUMEYER. Alex invited a small group on friends to an intimate dinner party to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his 40th birthday. You do the math. Then also take my word for it, no one, but no one, orchestrates parties like Alex Nieuwmeyer does. The man has a gift, he thinks about every little detail from décor and food presentation to location, ambiance and entertainment. He paces his parties to last, and last week we were all thrilled to celebrate with guests and family members from 6:30pm to past midnight, on a beach, toes in the sand, over fantastic food and wine, and I arrived home safe and content. Which reminded me that at the onset of my Diario columnist career, I wrote about the just-arrived Alex. So I dug up the newspaper clipping. And this is what I wrote in April 1994, I titled the blurb HOPE: “Alex Nieuwmeyer, the new managing director of Doral Hotels in Aruba will be introduced as a top gun. While previous management was plagued by conflict, Operations VS Finance, the new jefe is an insider coming from the prestigious Doral Park Avenue hotel in NY. Our sources insist that Alex will run both finance and operations with Thor Loberg managing Divi, Tim Wolf running Tamarijn and Joe Artesch just counting beans. Alex is a highly respected hotelier having made it in NY (If you can make it there, you make it anywhere…) Divi staff members who have continuously voiced disillusionment with the company’s management style, are looking forward to change. A new boss, with a reputation of being a good guy, might just make good things happen again.” That was 22 years ago, we totally forgot, Thor, Tim, and Joe, but Alex continues to create his legacy!
If you are curious about the party menu, here we go: Duck & Foie Gras with raspberry balsamic sauce, Lobster Bisque with scallops and shrimp, then for main course at the end of the stellar entertainment, Dry Age Tenderloin, New Zeeland Rack of Lamb, Jumbo Shrimp, Smoked Beef Brisket, and most importantly Red Velvet birthday cake and petit fours for dessert. Thank you Chef Paul Zijlstra, for feeding us so well.
