Venezuela-Colombia border reopens to trade as tensions ease

People along the shared border hope the reopening of border crossings to cargo will boost the economy after a years-long closure. Trucks loaded with aluminum and medications have crossed a bridge linking Colombia and Venezuela for the first time in seven years, as the neighbouring countries continue to mend relations after years of political conflict. The border reopening – which will see goods like coal, toilet paper and fruit moved through crossings between the Colombian city of Cucuta and the Venezuelan state of Tachira – was a key campaign promise of Colombia’s new left-wing President Gustavo Petro. There is great expectation for what this will mean for this region, after years of icy relationships, after years of very, very restricted economic activity, and in a situation where much of the goods that moved through this border did so illegally.” The reopening comes weeks after Petro and his Venezuelan counterpart President Nicolas Maduro announced that they planned to restore diplomatic relations, which were severed in 2019. “It will be something very positive for both countries, Colombia and Venezuela,” said Michael, a Venezuelan man who only gave The Associated Press his first name, who was crossing the Simon Bolivar bridge between the two countries on Sunday.