Schelto, Baron van Heemstra (6 January 1941) is a Dutch diplomat. He served as ambassador of the Netherlands to Zambia, Argentina, Suriname, Indonesia and Spain.

Biography

Van Heemstra was born on 6 January 1941 in

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...

. His

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

belongs to the

Dutch nobility The Dutch nobility is a small elite social class constisting of individuals or families recognized as noble, and with or without a title of nobility in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The existence of nobility was established in the Constitution ...

since 1814, and has a hereditary title of baron. His father was a diplomat, and he spent his childhood in many countries. In 1953, van Heemstra was sent to the Netherlands for an education, and graduated from the

University of Utrecht Utrecht University (UU; nl, Universiteit Utrecht, formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2018, it had an enrollme ...

. In 1968, he started to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1986, van Heemstra received his first appointment as ambassador to

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...

. In 1990, he was transferred to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. His distant relative

Aarnoud van Heemstra Aarnoud Jan Anne Aleid, Baron van Heemstra (22 July 1871 – 30 December 1957) was a Dutch nobleman, jurist and politician. He served as mayor of Arnhem between 1910 and 1920, and Governor-General of Suriname from 1921 until 1928. Van Heems ...

had been governor of Suriname, and van Heemstra applied to become the new ambassador. He was installed on 17 June 1994. During his time in Suriname, he presented a radio program for literature, and wrote a column in ''

De Ware Tijd ''De Ware Tijd'' (English: The True Time) is one of four daily newspapers in Paramaribo, Suriname. , it was the largest-circulation paper in the country, ahead of its rival, ''De West'', and was described as taking a "staunchly independent stance" ...

''. In 1998, an

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

arrest warrant for

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

smuggling was issued for Desi Bouterse by the Dutch government, which cooled the relationship. On 16 July 1998, he left Suriname without an official reception or decorations, but with a simple handshake. In 1998, van Heemstra was appointed ambassador to

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, and in 2003, he was appointed to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. He retired in 2006. In 2001, he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Honorary Order of the Palm by Surinamese President Venetiaan.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heemstra, Schelto van Living people 1941 births People from Arnhem Schelto Ambassadors of the Netherlands to Spain Ambassadors of the Netherlands to Indonesia Ambassadors of the Netherlands to Suriname Ambassadors of the Netherlands to Argentina Ambassadors of the Netherlands to Zambia Dutch diplomats Utrecht University alumni 20th-century Dutch people 21st-century Dutch diplomats