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The Venezuelan government will increase cooperation with Colombia's military and police forces to face transnational crimes caused by drug trafficking, announced Friday by the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López.
"We are ready to increase the level of communication and cooperation with Colombia's military and police forces to confront transnational crimes generated by drug trafficking, armed groups and smuggling, among others. For a peaceful, living and prosperous border," said the minister through his Twitter account.
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In September, Caracas and Bogota reestablished military relations after a meeting between Padrino López and his Colombian counterpart, Iván Velásquez.
Venezuela and Colombia resumed diplomatic relations on August 7, after the election of Gustavo Petro, and as a first step, appointed new ambassadors.
Subsequently, on September 26, they officially opened the binational border for trade, which had been closed since 2015 due to political conflicts between the two countries.
On November 1, Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Gustavo Petro held the first meeting in Caracas in which they signed a joint declaration to strengthen bilateral relations.
Maduro broke off relations with Colombia in 2019 after the opposition led by politician Juan Guaidó tried to enter through the border with alleged humanitarian aid, which Caracas called an invasion attempt.
Venezuela and Colombia share a 2,200 kilometers border.
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