This September 26, Colombia and Venezuela reopen their border between Norte de Santander and Táchira for the reestablishment of trade, which could boost even the US$1.2 billion bilateral exchange.
(Read: This is how the border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela will work).
This new rapprochement between Caracas and Bogotá is produced as part of the promises of President Gustavo Petro’s campaign, who confirmed his presence at the protocol act. However, it is still unknown if his Venezuelan counterpart will attend.
First thing in the morning, Nicolás Maduro wrote on his Twitter account greeting the event on Monday. “We are resuming relations and taking firm steps to advance in the total and absolute opening of the border between brother peoples: Colombia and Venezuela. It is a historic and transcendental day!”, trilled the head of state.
However, within hours of the start of the event, Maduro’s presence has not yet been confirmed, since, if he crossed the border, he would be placing Colombia in a diplomatic compromise by having arrest warrants from the United States Government since 2020 for US$15 million. It is necessary to remember that Bogotá is Washington’s main ally on the continent.
The government of Venezuela will be represented in the protocol act by Freddy Bernal, governor of the state of Táchira; Carlos Faria, Venezuelan Foreign Minister; Félix Plasencia, Venezuelan ambassador to Colombia; the Minister of Industry, Hipólito Izquierdo and Ramón Velázquez, Minister of Transport.
(Also: Colombia and Venezuela reopen the border after seven years).
On the Colombian side, in addition to President Petro, there will be the Minister of Commerce, Germán Umaña; the Minister of Transport, Gerardo Reyes; Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva; as well as the local authorities of Norte de Santander and Cúcuta.
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