Venezuela, Colombia finalize border reopening

By Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) – Venezuela and Colombia have decided that they will reopen the last stretch of their common border, which had remained closed for almost seven years due to diplomatic dispute.

The Tienditas Bridge, the last crossing between the two South American neighbors, is scheduled to reopen as Caracas and Bogota restored diplomatic ties in 2022.

A ceremony was held on Sunday to re-inaugurate the border crossing between the two neighbors with the attendance of officials from both sides.

The 2,200 kilometer-long (over 1,367-mile) border faced armed groups of both countries fighting each other over illegal trades such as drug trafficking, which also caused insecurity in the region.

The border has been partially closed for the last seven years and the transportation has been completely blocked since 2019 when Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro broke off diplomatic ties after Colombia, under former President Ivan Duque, questioned his 2018 re-election.

Maduro was elected in 2013 after the death of former President Hugo Chavez, whom he served under as the vice president. He became a presidential candidate again in 2018 in elections that the opposition and the US called a sham due to several irregularities, and again emerged victorious.

Many other countries, including the US, did not recognize Maduro's victory in an election widely condemned as rigged.

After assuming power last year as Colombia's first-ever left-wing president, Gustavo Petro immediately sought to re-establish ties with Venezuela and pushed to reopen the border.

On Sept. 26, 2022, goods trucks were allowed through border crossings that had been open only to pedestrians.