For years there has been an ice age between Venezuela and Colombia. When the leftist Gustavo Petro was elected President of Colombia in June, the neighboring countries drew closer again. Now they announce: The borders are open again, air traffic will be resumed.
After years of radio silence, Colombia and Venezuela have reopened their borders. “This is a historic day for the country, for the region and for America in general,” said Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The first truck in seven years drove from Colombia across the Simón Bolívar Bridge to the neighboring country.
Colombia and Venezuela recently resumed diplomatic relations. Since Petro’s election as Colombia’s first left-wing president in recent history on June 19, there has been a gradual rapprochement between the two closely linked South American neighboring countries. Venezuela’s authoritarian President Maduro announced on Twitter that air traffic between the two countries would also be resumed.
There was radio silence for years, and the border was temporarily closed again and again. Venezuela’s authoritarian President Maduro had it closed in 2015 after reports of skirmishes between Colombian criminals and Venezuelan soldiers. He also closed the border in 2019 when opposition leader Juan Guaidó wanted to bring aid into the country. After a brief opening, it was then closed again to slow the spread of the corona virus.
Trade between Colombia and Venezuela has declined sharply in recent years, and smuggling in the border area is flourishing. Parts of the region are controlled by criminal organizations. Venezuela has been suffering from a severe political and economic crisis for years. More than six million Venezuelans have left the country. Nearly two million now live in Colombia.
