MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2019) Bogota decided to partially shut the country's northeastern border with Venezuela after the Venezuelan opposition's efforts to let trucks with unauthorized humanitarian aid into the country led to clashes between Venezuelan security officers and pro-aid protesters, Director General of the Colombian migration agency Christian Kruger Sarmiento said.
On Saturday, several humanitarian trucks from Colombia tried to cross into Venezuela's western Tachira state and were burnt on the border. Four people were killed on the border with Brazil, which has been collecting aid as well, according to Venezuelan non-governmental organization Criminal Forum. Head of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro, in turn, said that at least 335 people had been injured in border clashes between law enforcement officers and protesters.
"As a result of the unrest that took place today [on Saturday] at different checkpoints here, in the North Santander department, caused by a peaceful attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela, Mr President [Ivan Duque] has decided to close the checkpoints on February 24 and 25," Kruger Sarmiento said in a video address, released on the agency's Twitter feed.
According to the official, the closure of the border is needed to assess the damage inflicted to the infrastructure during Saturday's events and to come up with measures that would allow Bogota to reopen the border crossings on February 26.
Meanwhile, a group of radicals attacked the Venezuelan border post in the Brazilian northern border state of Pacaraima and set a vehicle belonging to the Venezuelan National Guard on fire. The attackers also threw stones at the officers, who were forced to use tear gas.
Following the attempts to illegally bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela from Colombia, President Nicolas Maduro announced that Caracas was cutting off diplomatic and political relations with Bogota.
