Venezuela to reopen border with Colombia on Sunday

By Muhammed Emin Canik

CARACAS, Turkey (AA) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday announced reopening of the Venezuela-Colombia border which has been closed since Feb. 22.

"I ordered the opening of our Colombian border in Tachira province as of this Sunday. We are a nation that protects our independence and the right to self-determination," Maduro announced in a tweet.

Maduro had closed the border a day before opposition leader Juan Guaido's attempts to bring humanitarian aid from the U.S. to the country.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since January, when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Tensions escalated days later when Guaido declared himself acting president, a move supported by the U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.

Turkey, Russia, China, Iran, Bolivia and Mexico have thrown their weight behind Maduro.

* Writing by Burak Bir