Colombian border crossings will continue to be closed until June 1

The information was made public by the Interior Ministry on Friday February 26, after the publication of the Decree 206 of 2021, in which new determinations are made to prevent COVID-19 infections in Colombia with the maintenance of public order for a safe economic reactivation.

In this direction, The Colombian government has decided to close the land and river border crossings with the Republic of Panama, the Republic of Ecuador, the Republic of Peru, the Federative Republic of Brazil and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, starting at 00:00 on Monday 1 from March, until midnight on Tuesday June 1, 2021.

The measure taken by the State is taken with the aim of preventing the spread of covid-19 and the execution of activities endangering public order and the health of the population, until the health emergency. is overcome, it is advisable to maintain the closure of the limits.

This measure leaves the uncertainty placed on the migrants who constantly cross the border between Cúcuta, Norte de Santander and the State of Táchira in Venezuela, since many say they will have to continue using the irregular roads to cross and stock up on food and medicine.

Among the exceptions that apply to this border closure measure are the transport of goods, health emergencies and cases of force majeure or force majeure.

Below you can see the detailed document of the decree promoted by the Ministry of the Interior to deal with the health emergency in the country:

Taking into account that in the capital of Norte de Santander are the Foreign Ministers of Colombia and Spain, Claudia Blum and Arancha González to analyze the migratory situation of Venezuelans on Colombian lands, the Director General of Migration in Colombia, Juan Francisco Espinosa Palacios, insisted that even if during the closure the evolution of the pandemic in neighboring countries will continue to be constantly reviewed, it is not desirable to let our guard down.

Espinosa sent a personal care and prevention alert message to each of the border crossings, knowing that By paths not monitored by the national army or Migration Colombia, migrants from other countries can continue to cross:

You have to remember that the covid is always present and that you have to take care of each other, this is the time to take care of each other. We cannot let our guard down. The covid does not distinguish between nationalities and we must follow the recommendations of the health authorities, in order to overcome this pandemic together

Espinosa Palacios clarified that with regard to travelers entering the national territory within the framework of exceptional measures, these They must comply with all biosecurity measures established by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, as well as regional authorities, with the ultimate goal of reopening the borders sooner than expected.

It should be noted that, initially, the government announced that the measure would run until March 1, but the government decided to extend it for another three months to continue to prevent the rapid spread of the virus.

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