After the reopening of the vehicular crossing between Venezuela and Colombia, the national political coordinator of the political party “Primero Justicia” (PJ), Karim Vera, assured that it is necessary to remember that the measure that closed the international bridges carried out in 2015 caused patrimonial damage to the nation and served some to benefit illegally.
Anggy Polanco // LaPatilla Correspondent
He stressed that so far no one has been investigated, let alone held responsible, to explain how more than 100 million dollars a year were lost in national taxes and four million dollars of municipal and local taxes, of which only 150 thousand dollars per year were received. Meanwhile, smuggling became the norm.
She indicated that these resources went into the pockets of just a few who controlled the passage of merchandise through the illegal trails.
“We cannot forget that ex-governor José Gregorio Vielma Mora established a way to legitimize capitals and created Cobiserta (Comercializadora de Bienes y Servicios del Estado Táchira C.A.).”
After that, the figure of the “Protector del Táchira”(protector of Táchira State), a parallel government) appeared, who through the “codes of the protectorate”, displaced some government functions and prerogatives to now be be fulfilled by him, and he was the one who authorized who passed and who did not,” said the local political leader.
She explained that the goods passed with the complicity of some San Antonio Customs Officers, who charged less than those taxes corresponding to the state coffers, and which income went directly into the pockets of very few.
She affirmed that the border today is ruined and uncompetitive compared to the Colombian side, but even when the border is now open smuggling continues, as well as failures in the public services and the control of irregular armed groups in the border area.
The regional president of PJ in Táchira State explained the patrimonial damage caused by the non collection of national (customs) and municipal taxes. And to cite just one example she stated:
“In the Bolívar Municipality, between four and five million dollars a year stopped being received.”
Ms. Vera said that, now that the border crossing is being “regulated”, “it is necessary and pertinent to put an end to these mafias, act with transparency and execute corrective measures, because it is the people, the country, that have been bleeding economically, and it is not precisely because of foreign sanctions. These irregularities have been carried out in full view of the Venezuelan authorities.”