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Thousands of Venezuelans were welcomed to Colombia by a military band on Saturday morning as the two countries' borders were officially reopened after being closed by Venezuela a year ago.
ANALYSIS:
The Infiltration of Colombian Paramilitaries into Venezuela
Colombia's Foreign Ministry said more than 28,000 people — many of them Venezuelans — had moved across the border in the first few hours that it was open on Saturday. The ministry said 5,000 people had crossed in the first two hours alone.
The border between Venezuela and Colombia was closed on Aug. 19, 2015 after an attack on Venezuelan military forces by paramilitary groups.
The decision to reopen the border was announced last week by President Nicolas Maduro alongside his Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos.
The two said that the opening will be gradual. As of now, there are five open crossings, with the two countries saying they will focus on maintaining a safe and peaceful passage for civilians in a way that is not exploited by paramilitaries and illegal smugglers.
The foreign ministers of both countries will meet on Aug. 23 to discuss gas supplies from Venezuela to Colombia. Maduro said Venezuela was ready "for a new phase of gasoline in that area of the border. Let's try new formulas, and let’s be ready to sell gasoline."
The border has for years been a hotbed for smuggling everything from price-controlled toothpaste and pasta to illegal drugs and weapons. The Venezuelan government says smugglers take advantage of price controls and subsidized exchange rates, taking goods out of Venezuela to sell for higher profits elsewhere, contributing to shortages in the country.
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