Venezuela criticises Colombia's decision to close border

Record ID: 1464097

  • Title: Venezuela criticises Colombia's decision to close border
  • Date: 15th March 2020
  • Summary: SAN ANTONIO, VENEZUELA (MARCH 14, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WEARING FACE MASKS WALKING AROUND TOWN CLOSE TO BORDER WITH COLOMBIA VARIOUS OF MUDDY SHOES AND JEANS OF VENEZUELAN, YONDER UZCATEGUI, WHO CROSSED INTO COLOMBIA IN SEARCH OF MEDICINE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN, YONDER UZCATEGUI, SAYING: ''A trail of almost 40 minutes which is full of mud. We crossed a rice farm, but people are impatient, and they damaged the field. I was personally looking for chemotherapy medicine for a family member who has cancer and did not have another option other than go to Colombia." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND TOWN WEARING FACE MASKS WOMEN SITTING ON PAVEMENT WEARING FACE MASKS WOMAN WALKING AROUND TOWN WEARING FACE MASK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN, JOSEFINA MENDEZ, SAYING: ''I think they should have warned about this (border closing) much sooner, so that people could prepare and not go through what many people are going through today, which very hard." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND TOWN WITH SUITCASES
  • Embargoed: 29th March 2020 04:01
  • Keywords: Colombia Delcy Rodriguez Venezuela close border coronavirus government
  • Location: SAN ANTONIO AND CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: SAN ANTONIO AND CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Reuters ID: LVA001C55WDAF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez criticized a decision by Colombia to close its border with Venezuela on Saturday (March 14).
    Rodriguez, during a broadcast on state television, said the closure would force people to look for other ways to cross into the country and skip any epidemiological controls.
    Colombia's move came after the country decided to expel four Europeans for violating compulsory quarantine protocols designed to halt the spread of coronavirus.
    Colombia has so far reported 22 cases of COVID-19 and has declared a health emergency to contain the disease. Measures include suspending public gatherings of more than 500 people and blocking cruise ships from entering its ports.
    President Ivan Duque said Colombia would close its border with Venezuela starting Saturday, while arrivals who are not residents or nationals and have stayed in Europe or Asia during the last two weeks will not be allowed to enter from Monday.
    Venezuela said all arrivals from Europe to Venezuela in March should observe a two-week quarantine.
    Venezuela on Saturday also suspended flights arriving from Panama and the Dominican Republic for 30 days, after banning all flights from Europe and Colombia earlier last week. Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez confirmed eight new coronavirus cases in Venezuela for a total of 10.
    (Production: Efrain Otero, Carlos Ramirez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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