Venezuela orders partial closure of border with Colombia
Staff Writer |
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced on Friday night the closing of three bridges connecting the country with Colombia.
Article continues below
"Due to the serious and illegal threats attempted by the Colombian government against the peace and sovereignty of Venezuela," the government has made the decision to partially close the three bridges, said Rodriguez on Twitter.
The three bridges of Simon Bolivar, Santander and Union are the most important border crossings between Venezuela and Colombia.
Rodriguez warned the Colombian government to "stop facilitating the territory of Colombia for attack, by order of Donald Trump against the right of Venezuelans living in peace and sovereignty."
Rodriguez said that the Venezuelan government gave full guarantees to the Venezuelan and Colombian people to have safe border crossings, "as soon as the rude actions of violence against our people and our territory are controlled."
In 2015, the Venezuelan government had taken a similar measure after an attack perpetrated on Venezuelan military personnel.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered on Thursday the closure of the southern land border with Brazil, with the purpose of "guaranteeing tranquility," as it was known that the opposition would try to enter "humanitarian aid" through the zone.
On Wednesday, the Venezuelan government announced the closure of Venezuela's air and maritime border with Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire.
Caracas has denounced to the international community the insistence of the opposition to force a humanitarian shipment to enter Venezuela without sanitary permission of the Red Cross.
Venezuela faces a political and economic crisis that has led different Latin American countries to propose a dialogue with international mediation, however, the initiative has been discarded by the opposition. ■
Under an intense surge of arctic air, Friday morning will begin with the coldest temperatures so far this season across much of the central and eastern U.S. with blustery conditions and a piercing wind chill.