Heavy fighting broke out between motorcycle taxi drivers and the Venezuelan National Guard Saturday after attempts by the transportes to illegally cross the Colombia-Venezuela border.
The motortaxis were crossing the border nearby the Simon Bolivar bridge, but were stopped by the Venezuelan National Guard. The drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles after short were fired by the Venezuelan military. Venezuelan authorities then conficated and burned the abandoned behicles, resulting in angry reactions from the drivers.
The transporters started throwing stones at the Venezuelan soldiers who are blocking traffick on the brigde. The soldiers returned the attack with firearms.
At least one protester was shot in the arm and taken to hospital. Five members of the National Guard were injured and four Colombians were arrested.
Venezuelan authorities closed the border crossings near Cucuta after two members of the National Guard were assasinated, allegedly by associates of Colombian militias. Following the incident, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he’d sent 15,000 troops to increase border security.