Venezuela and Colombia will finally reopen the common border on September 26. This has been celebrated by the leaders of both countries, since it represents a great advance to normalize diplomatic relations, broken since 2019. In addition, the agreement includes the resumption of the air connection and cargo transport.
So much Nicholas Maduropresident of Venezuela, like his counterpart in Colombia, Gustav Petro, They have made the announcement through their respective Twitter accounts. The Colombian leader has highlighted the importance of “restore brotherly relations.”
The reopening of the border was one of the great objectives that Petro defended during the Colombian presidential elections. In his first weeks at the head of the country, the politician from the Historical Pact appointed one of his trusted men, Armando Benedetti, as Colombian ambassador in Caracas. Maduro did the same by appointing Felix Plasencia for the embassy in Bogota. Thus, the two countries reestablished a diplomatic relationship interrupted for years.
A border closed since 2015
Last August marked seven years since the closure of the border line for the passage of the vehicle. A decision that was made by Maduro in 2015 due to the tensions maintained with the then Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos. The relationship worsened even more in 2019, after Iván Duque, successor in the presidency of Colombia, helped the Venezuelan opponent, Juan Guaidoto cross into Venezuela through a humanitarian aid caravan.
For several reasons, the 2,219 kilometers that join Colombia and Venezuela they have become one of the hottest spots in Latin America. On the one hand, it is one of the most important commercial routes of the continent. On the other hand, it is one of the areas used by drug traffickers to transport drugs.
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