“Corruption cost Colombia’s peace process $119M”
Colombia suggests top guerrilla leader killed in Venezuela
Renowned economist designated Colombia’s new finance minister
Truth Commission: Colombia needs radical policy changes to...
Colombia’s controversial moment of truth
At least 49 dead after ‘prison break attempt’...
Colombia’s incoming government begins “total peace” offensive
Colombia investigating bullfighting tragedy
Petro’s first moves to restructure Colombia’s government
Petro and Duque meet over transition of power...
  • About
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
By Wilsanmo (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
News

Venezuela reopens border with Colombia

by Adriaan Alsema June 9, 2019

Venezuela reopened its border with Colombia on Saturday after talks between disputed President Nicolas Maduro and his opponents lowered tensions between the two neighbors.

Curiously, the reopening of the border did not lead to a resumption of the mass exodus of Venezuelans fleeing their crisis-stricken country at the main border crossing, the Simon Bolivar bridge. To the contrary.

According to Colombia’s migration authority, 34,000 Venezuelans entered Colombia using the formal border crossing while 40,000 returned to Venezuela.

Venezuelans leaving their country took to using informal border crossings away from the bridge after their government closed the border in February.

The majority of Venezuelans entering Colombia do so to purchase food and medicine that have grown scarce in the neighboring country after a drop in oil prices in 2014 spurred an economic crisis that continues to persist.

The government of Maduro closed the border a day before opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself interim president, tried to enter his country with trucks of aid provided by the United States.

The operation ended in extreme violence and spurred Maduro to close the border and break all ties with Colombia’s government.

After Guaido’s second US-supported attempt to forcibly oust his rival failed in April, the government and opposition agreed to talks that are currently underway in Oslo, Norway.

The negotiations have drastically lowered tensions between Maduro and the government of his Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque, a strong ally of the Venezuelan opposition.

The closing of the border aggravated the situation for civilians in the border region; while Venezuelans were impeded to purchase food products and medicine in Colombia, the economy in border city Cucuta all but collapsed.

According to government-loyal officials from the Venezuelan border state Tachira, the reopening of the border seeks to normalize the situation and reactivate the economy on both sides of the border.

border issuescrisis in Venezuelatensions with VenezuelaVenezuela

Trending

  • At least 49 dead after ‘prison break attempt’ in west Colombia

  • Truth Commission: Colombia needs radical policy changes to end conflict

  • Renowned economist designated Colombia’s new finance minister

Related articles

  • Colombia suggests top guerrilla leader killed in Venezuela

  • “Colombia’s most wanted FARC dissident killed in Venezuela”

  • Ukraine war dominates top level US-Colombia meeting

  • RSS

@2008-2019 - Colombia Reports. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Digitale Zaken and Parrolabs


Back To Top