Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the situation on the border between the state of Táchira in Venezuela and the city of Cúcuta in Colombia is tense, with developments expected in the coming hours or days, writes Semana.
Since early Saturday morning, January 3, Colombian military units have been present near the international bridge “Simón Bolivar“, which connects San Antonio del Táchira and Villa del Rosario, a municipality in the metropolitan area of Cúcuta. The situation on the bridge is alarming. Thousands of citizens who were on Venezuelan territory are fleeing the country before the situation worsens.
President Gustavo Petro spoke out after the capture of Nicolás Maduro: “The government rejects the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela.“ Colombian National Army tanks and military deployments remain in the La Parada sector on the orders of President Gustavo Petro after a Security Council meeting.
“Public forces are being deployed at the border, as well as all available resources to assist in the event of a mass influx of refugees. The Colombian embassy in Venezuela is actively responding to calls for help from Colombians in Venezuela,“ Petro said.
For now, border crossings in this part of the country remain open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. But that could change in a few hours.