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The Southern Caribbean island nation of Aruba has announced it is banning the controversial ‘Black Pete’ blackface makeup that is worn with exaggerated red lipsticks by white people during their annual Sinterklaas parade in December.

Every year, thousands of Dutch holidaymakers paint their faces black and lips red to parade the streets ahead of Christmas festivities depicting Black Pete – a Dutch folklore character who assists Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus or Sinterklaas in Dutch).

As an alternative, Maduro suggested participants either “use multicolored paint or they come with their natural skin tone” as the government will no longer support people wearing blackface to depict Zwarte Piet (Black Pete).

Thousands of activists have been arrested, assaulted and jailed annually for interfering with the Black Pete parade, while thousands of others cling to the tradition and parade to commemorate the arrival of Saint Nicholas and his companions from Spain by boat marking the beginning of the Christmas season.

Rutte said he had met and interacted with several people over last few years, including “small children, who said ‘I feel terribly discriminated (against) because Pete is black’… I thought, that’s the last thing that we want” in a holiday intended for children.