The Colombian trucks that entered Venezuela through the Simón Bolívar international bridge last Monday, as part of the normalization of relations bilateral, have not been able to leave the warehouses because the Venezuelan system does not accept the certificate of origin of the merchandise they transport.
“When the certificate of origin is entered into the Seniat’s SiduneaWorld system, it is not accepted. It is only accepting the merchandise that comes from third countries, with which taxes must be paid,” a source told The nation.
With the certificate of origin, exposed the digital medium, the payment of taxes of the merchandise that enters Venezuela or Colombia is exonerated. As of November 28, 2011, this release came into force with an agreement signed by both countries.
“What has been known is that Venezuelan institutions seek add a list of rules to the agreement, making the person interested in importing Colombian products travel to Caracas to meet a series of requirements,” said the source.
The informant stated that with this the Venezuelan authorities would be breaking with the agreement because these are unilateral rules. He added that at the moment no more merchandise will enter from Colombia while the situation is clarified.
The “end of a suicide”
Venezuela and Colombia reopened their border on Monday to the crossing of cargo vehicles after seven years of partial closure and three of total closure due to political differences, in an act led by Colombian President Gustavo Petro and delegates of Nicolás Maduro.
Petro described the closure to the press as “a suicide that should not be repeated.”
High officials had raised the possibility that the act would lead to a first meeting between Petro and Maduro, but the Venezuelan ruler did not attend. “There is no date” for that meeting, Petro said when consulted by journalists, after crossing over to the Venezuelan side to greet officials from the Maduro government.
The Venezuelan president, in a televised act, thanked Petro for the “huge step” taken: “I knew that sooner rather than later this day was going to come.” “I send President Gustavo Petro the thanks of more than 30 million Venezuelans,” he said.