Truckers in one of the border states of Colombia and Venezuela are protesting the closure of the border as a measure to curb contraband, reported local media.
Truckers and businesses in the state of Northern Santander, that depend on bilateral trade, are asking the Venezuelan and Colombian government to adopt other strategies to fight against contraband that do not affect business, according to Colombia’s El Espectador newspaper.
Leonardo Mendez, the owner of a company with business in both countries told Caracol Radio, “everything is affected, not just transport, but everything around it and it would be good if the governments come to study other measures to end the contraband that is finishing the economy in this region.”
The closure of the border has been in effect since Thursday and was announced by the Venezuelan government. The measure is reported to have been taken because of the public services crisis in the Venezuelan border town of Ureño.
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The measures were taken shortly after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro visited Colombia to discuss contraband and trade between the two countries.
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Maduro and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos agreed, at the beginning of the month, to “a meticulously-detailed shock plan to address the structures that permit contraband and the mafias that operate within them.”