Venezuela-Colombia Border Trade to Resume on Sept. 26

On Friday, the governments of Venezuela and Colombia announced that the land border between the two countries will be reopened on Sept. 26.

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“I am very happy to announce that as of Sept. 26, Venezuela and Colombia will jointly open their borders. We will also resume flights between Caracas-Bogota and Valencia-Bogota,” President Nicolas Maduro said, adding that “exchange and cooperation between our peoples are starting off on the right foot.”

On Thursday, Colombia's Trade, Industry, and Tourism Minister German Umaña traveled to Venezuela and held a meeting with the Bolivarian president in Caracas.

After this meeting, Maduro ratified that two complementary economies were willing to fully resume their relations. "It's the route! Colombia and Venezuela, united!", he said.

Through social networks, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro also announced that the opening of land border crossings between the two countries would be reopened, thus fulfilling one of the campaign promises that brought him to office.

"As a first step, the air connection and cargo transport between our countries will be resumed. We confirm the government's commitment to reestablish brotherly relations," he tweeted.

In August 2015, Venezuela closed its land border as a result of political tensions with President Juan Manuel Santos (2010-2018). Subsequently, in February 2019, the Bolivarian government broke diplomatic relations with Colombia in response to President Ivan Duque's support to the opposition politician Juan Guaido.