Venezuela proposes bi-national economic zone with Colombia

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said he proposed to the Government of Colombia the creation of a productive, commercial, and economic zone between Norte de Santander and the border state of Tachira (west).

“I have proposed to the Colombian team, to the team we have, I have proposed, we are going to propose to President Gustavo Petro a large productive, commercial, and economic zone between Norte de Santander and the entire state of Táchira, a binational zone of economic and commercial, productive development”, said the president in a broadcast of the state channel Venezolana de Televisión.

Caracas and Bogotá initiated on August 7 a process of normalization of relations, which included in the agenda the gradual opening of the border and the re-establishment of commercial and consular ties.

These agreements were reached after a meeting between the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Carlos Faría, and his Colombian counterpart for the government of Gustavo Petro, Álvaro Leyva, on July 28, in the state of Táchira.

Maduro called on the country’s business people to present the offer of products to be exported as from the normalization of commercial activity between both countries.

“That is where I tell the businessmen, what will we sell to Colombia? I want to have the export offer; I know they have it ready; the new Minister of Commerce of Colombia was president of the Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce Colombia-Venezuela, he knows it very well, he has the offer in hand,” said the Venezuelan president.

The president also highlighted that they are working together with Petro’s Government on a plan to allow the opening of the border without any disturbances.

Venezuela and Colombia share a little more than 2,200 kilometers of border, which remained closed since 2019 after the attempt of the opposition led by Juan Guaidó to enter from Cúcuta an alleged humanitarian aid to the country, an action that Caracas described as an invasion attempt and led Maduro to decide to break relations with Bogota.

With information from Sputnik

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