Colombian government to reopen border crossings with Venezuela in Norte de Santander, but with restrictions

The Colombian authorities will reopen Wednesday the crossings of the country with Venezuela in the department of Norte de Santanderbut will limit the steps by bridges because "obstacles are maintained" and armed people on the Venezuelan side.

"The decision was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Migrations Colombia of restrict the pbadage through these border points"said the director of Migration Colombia, Christian Krüger Sarmiento on these marches, closed since last Saturday because of the troubles which followed the attempt of humanitarian aid to the oil country.

In this sense, the manager explained that "in a spirit of protection of integrity"Of those who pbad by the Tienditas bridges, which have never been put into service, Simón Bolívar, the main stage between the two countries, and Francisco de Paula Santander, which connects Cúcuta and Ureña, limit the pbadage.

"From a humanitarian point of view and given the fact that many people need our immigration procedures, stamp stamps for those wishing to travel anywhere other than the border, We also made the decision to allow, to provide service in our service centers", added Krüger.

On these points, he explained, "Those who enter our territory can stamp their pbadports"and it will not be necessary"the exit stamp of Venezuela because obviously the dictatorship of (Nicolás) Maduro will not seal it because it has further given the order to remove the points of migratory attention in these places"

Colombia closed the border for 72 hours to verify the damage done to the infrastructure and to guarantee the officials at these four points their integrity and safety for Saturday's abuses.

That day, the international community tried to enter humanitarian aid oil tanker, but the Venezuelan authorities have banned its pbadage by order of Maduro.

Cúcuta, capital of the Colombian department of Norte de Santander, is connected by the Simón Bolívar International Bridge to the Venezuelan city of San Antonio, in the state of Táchira.

The Francisco de Paula Santander Bridge connects Cúcuta to the town of Ureña, just like Tienditas, also known as La Unidad, completed in 2016 and never commissioned. On the Colombian side, help is stored.

A fourth bridge in the area, La Union, is a smaller structure located between the cities of Puerto Santander (Colombia), Cúcuta and the Venezuelan Boca del Grita.

The measure concerns only border crossing points in northern Santander, so that other checkpoints between Colombia and Venezuela will continue to "provide service normally".

(With EFE information)