Presidents of Venezuela and Colombia announce to open the border today

Presidents of Venezuela and Colombia have announced the border between the two countries will be reopened. The border will be opened at five crossing points for 15 hours each day starting from today. Bilateral talks in preparation for opening the border have gone on for months. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos suggests it is difficult to thoroughly open the border all at once.

style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">The border has long been a haven for smuggling. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro decided to formally close the border at this time last year in what he called a crackdown on smugglers and paramilitary groups. The border closure came amid a cooling-down in the relations between the two countries.