The border between the state of Táchira, Venezuela, and the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia, was closed at midnight on Friday, July 26, as announced through a joint resolution between the Ministries of Defense and Interior, Justice and Peace. Although from early hours only pedestrian passage was allowed for those going to the neighboring country for reasons of health emergency, hours later the Venezuelan authorities enabled a humanitarian corridor for the crossing of travelers and those who had crossed to buy food.
On the Venezuelan side, vehicular traffic was prohibited on Avenida Venezuela, and only pedestrian access was allowed. Some citizens who arrived early in the morning to undergo medical examinations or to run errands were informed that it had been closed and they were unable to obtain permission from military officials to cross.
This is the case of Maria, who spoke with Diario de Los Andes near the San Antonio Customs Office, in the Bolívar municipality of Táchira state. She is from San Antonio and had an appointment to have a breast ultrasound this Friday. For the officials who were at the customs office, this was not a health emergency and therefore they did not let her cross into Colombia.
For his part, Arturo Chacón, a resident of the area, said that the closure was a surprise for border residents, since the head of the Táchira Comprehensive Defense Operational Zone (Zodi) had announced that it would not take place, but that there would be strict control of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
“They said that only humanitarian cases with dialysis and medical issues with their respective support would be accepted. Around 6 in the morning there were people waiting for the opening, but that number later decreased,” he said.
After 10 a.m., Colombian media reported the presence of Venezuelan citizens in the middle of the bridge, requesting to be allowed to cross and indicated that, through the mediation of Migración Colombia, the Venezuelan authorities agreed to allow those present to cross in bulk.
Diario de Los Andes was able to verify this information from Venezuela Avenue in San Antonio del Táchira, where the entry of travelers and people crossing with suitcases and bags was observed. At least 200 people had already crossed from Colombia by midday, according to a report given by Migración Colombia to Diario La Opinión de Cúcuta.
This did not prevent citizens who had arrived from other parts of Colombia from crossing the trails this Friday. This is the case of Pedro, who preferred not to be identified or to give his last name. He told the DLA team that he arrived from Bogotá at noon with his family, and they decided not to wait for a humanitarian crossing at the bridge, but to go pay at the trails.
“We crossed against all odds, but with God and the Virgin by our side. We are already in Venezuela and our vote will not be lost,” he said.
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2024-07-27 09:06:02