UREA: Venezuela and Colombia were set to reopen the last stretch of their shared border that had remained closed for years in a diplomatic dispute now settled under new leadership.

The South American neighbours were scheduled to reopen the Tienditas bridge, the last crossing still inaccessible since they restored diplomatic ties last year.

The neighbors share a 2,200-kilometre 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 Venezuela’s 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 either in an election widely condemned as rigged.

Published in Dawn, january 2th, 2023