Venezuela and Colombia re-establish dialogue for first time since 2019

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Carlos Farias and newly appointed Colombian counterpart Alvaro Leyva met in the Venezuelan border state of Táchira on Thursday to discuss the "gradual normalisation of binational relations". The meeting of the parties is the first between ministers of both countries after three years since diplomatic relations were broken in 2019.

The nations share a 2,200-kilometer border closed for binational commerce since 2015. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro welcomed the meeting between the officials, who discussed economic, security, and cooperation issues of interest, among others.

"It was a meeting that told us that the future is going to be better and that Colombia and Venezuela will meet again in peace, love and freedom," he said.

Maduro, who celebrated late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's birthday at a televised government event, was optimistic about the possible reopening of the border that Colombia's new government may bring. "Colombia and Venezuela are Siamese twins, and we must march together, united", he said.