Regarding the recent statements by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the national political coordinator of Primero Justicia, Karim Vera, assured that one month after the “symbolic” reopening of the border between Venezuela and Colombia, citizens continue to be victims of the vices and irregularities led by the different government security forces that are deployed in these areas, who maintain a business on the “trochas” (illegal trails and paths), where most of the food production is also summugled through.
Ms. Vera said she was not surprised by the statement recently made by the new Colombian President, even reiterating that it was part of the doubts that were generated prior to the reopening of the border, without prior preparation of the State infrastructure that would allow its success. Even so, the reopening was executed and three days ago reports such as that of the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, Mr. Germán Umaña, who described as “very positive” what was obtained at the border the North of Santander Department, “67 cargo trucks with export and import merchandise have passed through the Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander bridges.” In our opinion, it is not at all encouraging that two trucks a day is all that passes through what used to be the busiest frontier crossing in Latin America.”
In this sense, she highlighted the figure offered by Petro, “two and a half million dollars, is the balance that would have passed from side to side in products”, while the “commission” (protection payment, extortion) continues to be in the hands of the various security forces that make life in the zone, a very old fact for those who frequently transit the regular (import/export) channels, that is why the Táchira representative is not at all surprised by said pronouncement.
Karim Vera specified that the call to put an end to irregularities and try to establish a transparent binational trade, as stated by Gustavo Petro, “hopefully it will be enforced and not only in his country, but by the Venezuelan authorities, who are fully aware of what is happening. For years now they knew of the trails and turned a blind eye. Let’s hope that measures are actually carried out and not only political actions.”
Press release