Opening Colombian-Venezuelan border could generate US$8 billion

With the inauguration of Gustavo Petro, Colombia and Venezuela aim to reopen the border between both countries, considered the most commercially active in South America.

According to the governor of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, in the first six months alone, the reopening would move between US$2 billion and US$8 billion.

The border between Colombia and Venezuela is 2,219 kilometers long. In normal times, the commercial flow between both countries was intense, to the point of being considered the most active border in South America and the second in the Americas after the passage between the USA and Mexico.

Colombians and Venezuelans eagerly awaited the possibility that the normalization of relations between Colombia and Venezuela would restore those times. The governor of the Venezuelan state of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, is one of them.

In declarations to the Colombian media Blu Radio, Bernal assured that the reopening of the border would imply a commercial movement of between US$2 billion and US$8 billion.

According to the politician, specialists estimate this economic flow would correspond only to the first six months of activity.

Since August 7, when President Gustavo Petro began his mandate, Colombia has maintained rapprochements with its neighboring country Venezuela, with which it aims to restore the maintained relations and modify the hostile policy led by the outgoing government of Iván Duque (2018-2022).

In that sense, on Tuesday, August 16, the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, and the president of the Colombian Congress, Roy Barreras, agreed to advance the plan approved by the Executives of both countries.

The Foreign Policy commissions of both countries, the boards of directors of the Parliaments, and special commissions of deputies from the border area will hold meetings of a “binational nature in the coming days”, Rodriguez assured.

Previously, on August 11, the Colombian president appointed former senator Armando Benedetti as a representative in Caracas, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro confirmed Félix Plasencia as ambassador in Bogotá, which marks the beginning of a political will after seven years of détente.

Bernal confessed that “there is anguish in the border zone (…) an immense expectation” for the reopening and called for “patience” since it is necessary to review “protocols and administrative processes that essentially disappeared” and that “are not regularized from one day to the next”.

According to the local authority, before taking the step, the customs authorities and the security forces of both countries must also meet to establish a “progressive, controlled and biosecure opening”.

At a later stage, “both countries will have to generate the conditions of infrastructure and services” because currently, the border has bridges that do not allow the expected commercial activity.

With information from Sputnik

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error