Venezuela restores border crossing with Brazil and connections with Aruba
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on instructions from President Nicolás Maduro, announced on Friday the restoration of the border crossing with the Federative Republic of Brazil, which had been closed since February 21 by decision of the Venezuelan Executive.
In this regard, the sectoral vice-president of Economy, Tareck El Aissami, informed that gradually, the border control mechanisms will be established and consolidated, with the vision of promoting the economic and productive development in the border for the benefit of the two countries.
In a statement to the media from Casa Amarilla Antonio Jose de Sucre in Caracas, the senior official indicated that the decision came after a series of meetings at the highest level with different Brazilian authorities, including delegates from the Brazilian Armed Forces, the Governorate of the state of Roraima, the Mayor of Paramacaima, as well as with federal senators and productive sectors.
“We received the commitment of non-interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela and, finally, to restore all the economic, social, political, and cultural exchange that takes place on our border with Brazil”, he emphasized.
In the case of Aruba, one of the three islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands that borders Venezuela, the Vice President of Economy also announced the restoration of air and sea connections with the island, which were also closed by decision of the Venezuelan Executive last February 20.
With the Aruban authorities, he specified, it was agreed to start work commissions to gradually restore all communication, trade and bilateral exchange routes. Until the closing of the border with Aruba, the frequency of weekly flights between the two territories was 48.
Vice President El Aissami stressed that the authorities of the Dutch island, especially its Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes, have been emphatic about the principle of respect for non-interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela.
“I hope that wisdom prevails in the other authorities of the islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and avoid being instruments for aggression against the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”, he reflected.
The borders of Venezuela with Brazil and with Aruba, as well as with Bonaire and Curazao, were closed by decision of President Nicolás Maduro because of the interventionist position of their governments in the internal affairs of the country and their support for an operation orchestrated from States against the Venezuelan sovereignty under the facade of “humanitarian aid”.
In this context, the closing of the border with the Republic of Colombia was also announced on February 22, one day before the date agreed by the opposition leadership to force the alleged “humanitarian aid” into the Bolivarian Republic.
The vice president of Economy urged the countries of the region to establish mechanisms of dialogue with Venezuela and demanded the cessation of interventionist policies. In parallel, he stressed that the borders with Colombia, Bonaire and Curaçao will remain closed until the positions of hostility and siege against the Venezuelan State and its democratic institutions cease.
“I hope we abandon the interventionist scheme, the folly, the lack of criteria and resume the path of diplomacy to clarify any issue, to discuss, any situation that concerns our borders”, he added.
The Vice President of Economy was accompanied in his meeting with the media by the Foreign Minister of the Republic, Jorge Arreaza; the Minister of State for the New Peace Frontier, Gerardo Izquierdo; the governor of the Falcón state, Víctor Clark; and the Vice-minister of Foreign Relations for Europe, Yván Gil.