Colombian-Venezuelan border will remain closed

ENGLISH

In recent days, there have been constant speculations about the opening of the land border between Colombia and Venezuela, which has been closed for more than six months. The only certainty is that the governments of both countries announced that this Saturday they will allow only the passage of public service vehicles.

According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, the temporary opening will be held exclusively for five hours, between 1 and 6 in the afternoon, and will allow over 500 Venezuelan vehicles and 250 Colombian vehicles to brought back to their side of the border.

Along the more than 1,250 miles that separate eastern Colombia from western Venezuelan, there are potential corridors in Paraguachón (La Guajira); Cúcuta (Norte de Santander) and José Antonio Páez (Arauca).

The border was closed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to control the impact of contraband that flows from his country into Colombia. This measure was followed by the expulsion of more than one thousand Colombian and the departure of thousands for fear of reprisals in Venezuela.

During the last six months there have been bilateral meetings, including Maduro and his Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, without reaching an agreement, but in the last week there have been serious talks about a possible final opening.

Last Wednesday, José Vielma Mora, Governor of the Venezuelan state Tachira bordering the northern Colombian state Santander, said on Twitter that the opening of the border was close, after assessing that possibility with Maduro.

Rene Alejandro Utrera, a Colombian resident of Arauca interviewed by La Semana, asserts that the closure of the border has been beneficial to Colombia because articles’ prices stopped inflation.

Traditionally, it was Venezuelan authorities who demanded documents from Colombians and restricted their access to that country. However, Colombian immigration authorities have in recent days applied the same protocols at the border to the passage of Venezuelan citizens, as a measure “to ensure the conditions of security and order in the border crossings.”

They are demanding a passport or a certificate proving Colombia residency from those who wish to enter their territory, and rejecting those who don’t have documentation.

To obtain clarity on these controls, the Colombian government issued a statement which said that after the border closure it has had a better chance to evaluate the issues of security, crime, migration, economic and social challenges that have historically affected this area of the country.

According to the statement, longterm strategies will be defined to provide lasting solutions to the identified problems.

“We will continue working to have a border that is safe, modern and beneficial for our population. In this context, immigration measures taken by Colombia are intended to maintain the flow regulated, safe and ordered the border crossings,” says the statement.

The government says it is making it clear that Colombia exercises controls respecting the law and the human rights of all citizens, but then sends a message to the Venezuelan government: “For our part episodes like those Colombians suffered last year when thousands were expelled will not be repeated.” (La Semana)