Venezuelan soldiers blew up two pedestrian bridges Thursday in Colombia’s Norte de Santander frontier department, reported the Colombian government.
Colombia’s Defense Minister, Gabriel Silva, claimed that a troop of Venezuelan guards arrived at the scene, near the town of Rangonvalia and proceeded to detonate explosives, destroying the two bridges connecting Colombia to Venezuelan territory over the river Tachira.
Colombia’s Vice Foreign Minister, Clemencia Forero, has announced that the event will be presented before the OAS and the UN as a serious violation of humanitarian law on the part of Venezuela and an assault against the civil population of the region, reported newspaper El Espectador Thursday.
Authorities in Rangonvalia have delivered preliminary information to Colombia’s Ombudsman, Volmar Perez, who has signaled that as a result of the events, an official delegation will be sent to the region to collect information and testimonies and a high level meeting will be held Friday to re-address the concerning security situation along the Venezuelan border.
According to Silva the events “are being considered as a threat that require the adoption of contingency plans.” Silva further noted that Friday’s meeting will be attended by police and military commanders as well as civil authorities from the border region, reported news station Caracol.
Silva allegedly concluded by saying that “Colombia is disposed to achieving understanding and peace with her neighboring countries, but this is sensitive information that greatly disturbs the Government.”