Officials report clashes on Colombia-Venezuela border

Jorge Jraissati

CARACAS, Venezuela (AA) – Authorities from Venezuela and Colombia reported heavy clashes between the Venezuelan National Army and a Colombian armed group.

The confrontation occurred in the southwest of Venezuela, in Arauquita, a municipality in the border state of Apure.

The mayor of Arauquita Etelivar Torres reported that the clash left several people injured.

Without entering into details, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro declared on national television that the military was fighting a group from Colombia.

"We are in Operation Bolivarian Shield, protecting our border from Colombia's abandonment of the entire border, which causes armed groups to come here," said the Venezuelan president.

The last days have been hectic for the Venezuelan government, as a natural gas pipeline in northeastern Venezuela exploded over the weekend.

The explosion occurred in a 36-inch pipeline that provides natural gas to the PIGAP II gas reinjection plant in the northeastern state of Monagas.

The PIGAP II plant helps produce crude oil at El Furrial fields, which are operated by state-owned PDVSA, and Spain’s Repsol.

According to PDVSA internal documents, El Furrial's average production of oil in February was 44 thousand barrels per day.

Venezuela’s Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami called the incident a “terrorist attack,” but failed to provide any details about who was responsible for the alleged attack.

El Aissami also reported that PDVSA had to temporarily shut the plant to not only halt the flames but also evaluate the damages to the pipeline.