On Monday, January 13, border crossings between Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil were reopened after being closed since Friday, January 10. The closures took place in the context of Nicolás Maduro’s presidential inauguration ceremony.
The Border with Brazil Returns to Normal
The border with Brazil in the state of Roraima reopened this Monday as scheduled. This area had been blocked by Venezuelan military forces on Friday during Maduro’s inauguration.
In another development, Brazil’s Ministry of Justice announced the extension of the National Force deployment by 90 days in the border area with Venezuela. This elite police unit was first deployed on July 10 to assist security forces in indigenous territories and to monitor the border.
Border with Colombia Reopened
Meanwhile, the governor of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, announced the reopening of the land border with Colombia on Monday after it had been closed three days earlier. The closure was linked to an alleged “international conspiracy”.
The closure coincided with Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration ceremony, where he began his third term despite the controversy over the legitimacy of his election. In a video posted on Instagram, Bernal assured that the border was now open and that the country was in total peace and tranquility.
In his words, “The border, once again, is open. The state and the country are in total peace and tranquility, in perfect civic, military, and police unity.”
Rejection of Military Intervention
During his announcement, Bernal also rejected the comments of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, who had proposed requesting a military intervention in Venezuela. Bernal emphasized that the true winner of the Venezuelan elections was opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia.
Normalization of Border Crossing
Despite the temporary closure, Migration Colombia reported that in recent days, the situation at the main border crossings has returned to normal, allowing smooth transit between the two countries.
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