Caracas — The Colombian-Venezuelan border will be opened gradually after new Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro takes office in August, according to a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of the two countries and broadcasted on Venezuela state-owned television.
Carlos Faria, foreign minister of Nicolás Maduro’s administration, and Álvaro Leyva, a representative of the Colombian foreign ministry appointed by Petro, held a meeting in the city of San Cristóbal.
The meeting, which was also attended by the governor of the state, Freddy Bernal, for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, discussed the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with the forthcoming re-establishment of consulates and the appointment of ambassadors.
In July, Colombian and Venezuelan businessmen led a forum in Norte de Santander, as a means of pressure for economic recovery at the border crossings. Although no specific date was set, Colombian congressman Gabriel Becerra assured that the opening would take place on 8 August, after Petro’s swearing-in.
Once Petro was victorious in the Colombian presidential elections on 19 June, Chavista people, including Nicolás Maduro, celebrated the victory and extended their congratulations on social media, predicting a new path for diplomatic relations.
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