VENEZUELA and Colombia reopened the last stretch of their shared border yesterday that had remained closed for years in a diplomatic dispute now settled under new leadership.

Cars honked and passengers waved flags as vehicles with license plates from both countries traversed the area’s Atanasio Girardot bridge, which had been blocked by containers amid high tensions.

The bridge, which is also known as Tienditas, was the last to remain inaccessible since the countries restored diplomatic ties last year.

Authorities from both countries wore white guayaberas and carried balloons in the colours of their flags, yellow, blue and red, to inaugurate the pass during a ceremony that included a blessing of the crossing by bishops.

The neighbours share a 2,200-kilometer border riddled with armed groups that have created insecurity by fighting over lucrative illegal trades such as drug trafficking and smuggling.

It was partially closed seven years ago and completely blocked in 2019 when Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro broke off diplomatic ties after Colombia under then-president Ivan Duque questioned his 2018 re-election.

Many other countries, including the United States, did not recognise Maduro’s victory in an election widely condemned as rigged.

As soon as he came to power last year, Colombia’s first-ever left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, sought to re-establish ties and pushed for a reopening of the border. 

On September 26, goods trucks were allowed through border crossings that had been open only to pedestrians. 

Air links have also since resumed.  

The countries hope to reinvigorate trade, which stood at US$7.2 billion in 2008, but has collapsed since then.

The bridge connects the cities of Urena in Venezuela and Cucuta in Colombia, and had been blocked by containers placed there by the Venezuelan army.

Venezuela has suffered years of economic crisis that have seen poverty soar and millions of people leave the country, many to settle in Colombia.

Venezuela is one of the guarantors of peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the ELN guerrilla group. The goal is to reach a peace agreement like one signed in 2016 with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. 

On Saturday, Petro announced a ceasefire agreement with the ELN and other armed groups from January 1 to June 30. – AFP, January 2, 2023.