Officials from both countries took a walk in the area of the border bridge. | Photo: Screenshot
Caracas, January 1 (RHC)-- Venezuela and Colombia carried out this Sunday, January 1st, the "total opening" of their border with the inauguration of a binational bridge that will allow the passage of vehicles of all kinds, something that has not happened since 2015.
The Tienditas International Bridge, recently named Atanasio Girardot, was the scene of this reopening, with which the authorities of both countries hope to boost the economy in this region. This act represents one more step towards the complete reestablishment of diplomatic and commercial relations between both countries, after the siege of the former Colombian government against Venezuela.
Venezuelan and Colombian authorities along with other guests such as representatives of the Catholic Church of both nations were present at the full reopening of the border between the two countries at the Atanasio Girardot bridge.
In the protocolary act, the federal and local authorities of both countries together with the ambassadors of the respective nations walked to a point on the border where they exchanged greetings. Afterwards, they gave the starting signal to the cargo trucks to seal the total reopening of the border zone between Venezuela and Colombia.
The Atanasio Girardot Bridge is located about 20 minutes from downtown Cúcuta, in the Villa Silvania sector, on the Eastern Ring Road, and about 10 kilometers north of the Simón Bolívar International Bridge (Cúcuta, Colombia).
It also crosses the Táchira River and has six lanes for vehicles to travel in both directions, connecting the municipalities of Villa del Rosario, in Norte de Santander, with Pedro María Ureña, in the State of Táchira, in Venezuela.
With this Sunday's opening, all crossing points are now fully open, including those of Arauca, Puerto Santander and the river crossings.
This opening is in addition to the one that took place last September 26th with the reopening for the passage of cargo through the Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander bridges. From that moment until December 29, 1,204 trucks with export and import merchandise have passed through the two bridges.
Venezuela and Colombia re-established relations after Gustavo Petro came to power, promising to "normalize" the 2,200 km binational border.
