Venezuela and Colombia fully reopen shared border

Venezuelans walk over the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, the border between Colombia and Venezuela only open for pedestrians, before the official reopening of the border that has been shut for the past seven years, in Cucuta, Colombia September 24, 2022. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela and Colombia will fully reopen their shared border on January 1 to allow passage of cargo and passenger transport via the cross-border Tienditas bridge, Colombia Migration said in a statement on Saturday.

The South American countries already reopened in September their border crossing in the Tachira state, in western Venezuela, after political ties strengthened under Colombia's new president, Gustavo Petro.