According to a statement from Colombia Migration, Venezuela and Colombia will fully restore their common border on January 1 to permit the transportation of goods and people via the Tienditas International Bridge.
The border crossing between the South American nations was previously restored in September in western Venezuela’s Tachira state after political ties under Gustavo Petro, the new president of Colombia, were reinforced.
Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Petro were each named ambassadors to Bogota and Caracas, respectively.
The restoration of the 2,200km (1,367 miles) common border between Colombia and Venezuela, as stated by Colombian authorities since September, would be progressive.
Government representatives from Venezuela were monitoring the Tienditas Bridge’s infrastructure last week.
“We completely reopen the border between our countries in order to guarantee the movement of cargo and passengers, and to promote trade and tourism in Colombia and Venezuela, not only by land but also by air and river,” said Colombia’s Minister of Transport Guillermo Reyes Gonzalez on Saturday.
Two bridges in Tachira and the western Zulia state allow people and freight to cross the border already. In November, flights between the two major cities—Caracas and Bogota—restarted.
According to official figures from Colombia, the value of the trade between the two nations is approximately $580 million.