Venezuela to partially open borders with Colombia

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced the reopening of his country's border crossings with Colombia. The border was closed on February a day before the Venezuelan opposition unsuccessfully tried to bring in humanitarian aid by force to relieve shortages of medical supplies.

Caracas:Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday declared his decision of partially reopening its border with Colombia which was closed in February.

On February, Maduro ordered the border crossings between Venezuela and Colombia in Tachira state to be closed, a day before the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guiado tried to bring in humanitarian aid by force to relieve shortages of medical supplies.

Previously Maduro had rubbished all reports indicating humanitarian crisis and said that aid efforts were part of a plot created by the US to foment trouble in his country.

After the closure of the border the people living in border towns started facing economic problems as maximum people rely on Colombian cities for basic goods and services.

A good number of Venezuelans resort to informal border crossing in order to avail basic amenities including medical treatments.

Maduro in his tweet said:"In full exercise of our sovereignty, I have ordered the opening of the border crossings with Colombia in the Tachira State, as of this Saturday #8Jun. We are peaceful people who firmly defend our independence and self-determination."

In the last few years, the Venezuelan government ordered its land and maritime borders to be closed on several occasions, alleging foreign interference and other causes acting against the so-called Bolivarian Revolution that began under Maduro's mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez.