VENEZUELA-COLOMBIA/BORDER Venezuela shuts two border crossings with Colombia

Record ID: 143247

  • Title: VENEZUELA-COLOMBIA/BORDER Venezuela shuts two border crossings with Colombia
  • Date: 20th August 2015
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (AUGUST 20, 2015) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF COLOMBIA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY STREET WITH VEHICLES GUARDS AT DOORS OF MINISTRY COLOMBIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER, MARIA ANGELA HOLGUIN, WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER MARIA ANGELA HOLGUIN, SAYING: "We have talked with the Venezuelan foreign mini
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6FQDVWBKE2GJNA3IOCW2QDWPN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro late on Wednesday (August 19) ordered two border crossings to Colombia closed for 72 hours after a shootout left three soldiers injured.
    The soldiers were attacked during an anti-smuggling operation in the Venezuelan border town of San Antonio in the state of Tachira, according to the government.
    "I have ordered a special OLP (military operative used by the government against crime) along the entire border and a set of special decisions that I will start to announce during the course of today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, 72 hours of strict border closing and that way, we will reformulate and we could formulate a superior policy for the border, of stabilization of the border, of regularization of all economic trade, commercial, security, military and with police in coordination with the government of Colombia, with Colombian authorities," Maduro said on state TV on Thursday (August 20).
    Maduro said he had called for a meeting with Colombian officials to tackle the issue jointly.
    "I have instructed the Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez, to immediately coordinate with the Colombian foreign ministry, a special meeting with the presence of governors, our key ministers and where both governments can very quickly, take on this issue," added Maduro.
    Tachira state Governor Jose Vielma Mora said military personnel would be deployed to the smuggling-rife border area soon.
    Meanwhile, Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin confirmed that she had spoken to her Venezuelan counterpart and both countries would work jointly on the matter.
    "We have talked with the Venezuelan foreign minister and we have set an early date for a possible meeting on September 14. We would be gathering, the foreign ministers, to touch many of the sensitive issues with regards to the border and we really want to reiterate to the Venezuelan government that we will work together," Holguin said.
    As the Venezuelan currency sinks and inflation rages, many near the border are making money smuggling price-fixed goods, including gasoline, flour and shampoo, over to nearby Colombia for a handsome profit.
    Organized smuggling groups also operate in the area, buying goods in Venezuela to resell in Colombia, exacerbating shortages in crisis-hit Venezuela.
    Holguin added the country's police were working with Venezuela to capture the culprits of Wednesday's attack.
    "We hope to catch these criminals. As I say we are working hard with them (Venezuelan government) and in a coordinated way and in order to do so, we understand that they are 72 hours and we'll wait to see what other decision is taken," Holguin said.
    The closing of the border follows a more limited measure taken last year to prevent smuggling of goods. In August of 2014, Venezuela and neighbouring Colombia closed their borders between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. to limit movement of cargo vehicles in border municipalities to prevent lucrative cross-border trade.
    "The measures we are enacting are for the well-being of the people - to guarantee the peace throughout the border region. One of the measures is the restriction of heavy transit for merchandise throughout all the border regions," Venezuela's Gen. Vladimir Padrino had said on state television at the time the measure was announced.
    Some Venezuelans sell generously-subsidised food from state outlets for handsome profits on the black market or over the border in Colombia, which Maduro says is causing the country's food shortages, and Colombian businessmen said leads to unfair competition.
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