Venezuela: Maduro partially reopened the border with Colombia

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After the announcement of President Nicolás Maduro last Friday, this Saturday, June 8, the situation in the border area was in apparent normality

Almost four months was closed the passage from Venezuela to Colombia, after the incidents last February with humanitarian aid that tried to mobilize opposition to this country. That changed, at least partially, since this Saturday, June 8, after the announcement last Friday of the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, to reopen the border of his country with the coffee nation.

Leer en español: Venezuela: Maduro ordenó reabrir la frontera con Colombia

The Republic He recalled that Maduro had also closed the borders with Brazil and the Netherlands Antilles after the aforementioned failed plan of the opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who was backed by the United States. However, in May, the Venezuelan government decided to open the borders with Brazil and the island of Aruba. It must also be said that the Red Cross reached an agreement with Maduro during this period to enter aid shipments.

The Venezuelan president said on Twitter on Twitter that the border crossings of Colombia in the western state of Táchira would open as of Saturday. "We are a people of peace who firmly defend our independence," he wrote on his Twitter account.

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100 days of suffering

Since then, the pedestrian crossing for three of the so-called binational bridges located in that area was restricted, and only with access for people who had medical or school grounds. The fourth bridge, that of Tienditas, located between Cúcuta and Ureña, did not reopen either for pedestrians or vehicles, Infobae reiterated.

In recent years, the Venezuelan government has ordered the closure of land and sea borders on more than one occasion alleging foreign interference and, in general, strategies aimed at overthrowing the "Bolivarian Revolution". In the other two regions of the country in which both countries share borders, the pedestrian crossing has been opened, but with the same restrictions as in the Táchira state.

The migratory mobilization had only occurred in the last four months through irregular roads very close to the posts controlled by the authorities and different Venezuelan and Colombian security forces.

The United Nations (UN), has indicated that four million Venezuelan emigrants have left their country since 2016 fleeing the socio-economic crisis. In turn, Colombia is the leading nation among the destinations chosen by Venezuelan migrants. There, according to the UN, 1.3 million have already been settled. They are followed by Peru, with 768 thousand and Chile with 288 thousand.

What do the leaders think?

The Colombian brought up the statements of two leaders after the announcement of Maduro. "I get the feeling that they are in a plan to enter into a negotiation process," said Alfredo Rey, an internationalist at the Universidad de Los Andes.

Pepe Ruíz, mayor of Villa del Rosario in Norte de Santander, said that "it was a delayed decision, but he arrived because his people are subjected to hunger and migrants do not have to go through the trails and the risk it represents for their lives to go through the river. "

In turn, the vice president of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez, said, according to BBC World, that the plan in the case of the first day, Saturday, June 8, was to open the passage only for pedestrians between 6 in the morning and 9 in the morning. night and depending on it, they will evaluate the following days.

The aforementioned media added that the Colombian government has not ruled on Maduro's announcement, even though its Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo visited Venezuelan migrants in the Alta Guajira region, accompanied by United Nations officials and the actress. Angelina Jolie. In addition, the Colombian government announced that the aid that could not be delivered in February will be distributed among Venezuelans living in Colombia, BBC Mundo concluded.

LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano

Translated from "Venezuela: Maduro ordenó reabrir la frontera con Venezuela"