The Venezuelan National Guard entered Colombian territory this week to make an arrest, which has many officials in the border town of Cúcuta up in arms.
Mayor César Rojas said members of the Venezuelan National Guard (GNB) entered Colombia while pursuing gasoline smugglers, which he considers unacceptable behavior.
“We are going to call Chancellor (María Ángela Holguín) so that she can take the necessary measures and inform the president that we can not accept the violation of Colombian territory,” Rojas said.
He described seeing Venezuelan authorities taking such action as “regrettable” because they “affect the inhabitants” of Cúcuta.
“We can not accept this incursion,” Rojas said. “It is hurting the community and the rural residents of this sector.”
Rojas said Venezuelan officers not only penetrated Colombian territory but also arrested the smugglers in a rural area of Cúcuta, where they were burning the vehicle that had illegally transported items into the country.
Last December, Rojas asked Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to close the border with Venezuela because there are no clear rules between the two countries.
“It is better to leave it closed for as long as it is: three, six or 10 months, but so that when it opens it is organized and we all know the rules,” he said.
The border between the two South American countries is comprised of a territory of 1,378 miles in which, for the most part, there is frequent smuggling of food and gasoline.
Source: Sumarium
