Venezuela and Colombia complete border opening with transit of private vehicles

The transit of private vehicles between Colombia and Venezuela It started on Sunday to complete the total opening of the common border, where the passage of cargo and people transport is already allowed, after years of tense relations between the two countries.

Colombian and Venezuelan authorities authorized the opening of the pass in the Atanasio Girardot Bridge known as “Tienditas”, one of the largest in the border area of ​​the state of Táchira, in western Venezuela. In the afternoon, the movement of vehicles began.

In September, both nations began to gradually reopen their border crossings, after ties were strengthened again with the arrival of Gustavo Petro to the presidency of Colombia in August, who along with his peer, Nicolas Maduror, they appointed ambassadors in Caracas and Bogotá.

“Today we begin the path of economic, social and service complementarity (…) It will be impossible for the borders to be closed to citizens again, we will never allow it again,” German Umaña, Minister of Commerce, Industry, told reporters. and Colombian Tourism.

Umaña was accompanied by the Colombian Minister of Transportation, Guillermo Reyes, and the Governor of Táchira, Freddy Bernal.

For transit through Venezuela, people coming from Colombia must present their identification as well as car documents and insurance. Venezuelan vehicles crossing into the neighboring country will have to comply with Colombian regulations, in addition to insurance, authorities said.

In 72 hours the transit of public transport would begin, the officials added.

Venezuela and Colombia share a frontera of more than 2,200 kilometers and the commercial exchange between the two countries is around 580 million dollars, according to official data from Colombia.