Venezuela reports the total closure of the border bridge with Colombia for 15 days

Caracas.- The Venezuelan Government reported this Sunday on the total closure for 15 days of the Francisco de Paula Santander international bridge, which connects Cúcuta, capital of the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia, with Pedro María Ureña, in the Venezuelan state of Táchira, due to rehabilitation work. "We urge drivers and the general population to take precautions, given the work being carried out by the workforce for the well-being of everyone," indicated the Ministry of Transportation in a statement published on its social media. The State portfolio indicated that the measure took effect from this Sunday, although it did not specify the type of rehabilitation being carried out on the bridge.

The Problems on the Bridge at the Border Between Colombia and Venezuela

On Saturday, after a technical inspection motivated by the recent floods of the Táchira River, the Disaster Risk Management Secretariat of Cúcuta reported a failure in the bases of the structure that seriously affects the Venezuelan side and compromises both the foundations and the upper part. The Risk Management Secretary, Fabián Prato, assured that the section corresponding to Colombia has no damage that represents an imminent risk, but the evaluations carried out jointly with Civil Protection of the state of Táchira revealed considerable problems on the Venezuelan side. "As a security measure to guarantee the integrity of users, the Venezuelan authorities have prohibited the passage of heavy vehicles and limited vehicular traffic to a single lane. Citizens are advised to use alternative border crossings or to travel with extreme caution," Prato assured after the inspection. The Francisco de Paula Santander bridge, built 57 years ago, and through which more than 8,000 vehicles travel daily, is the second busiest on the Norte de Santander-Táchira border axis, surpassed only by the Simón Bolívar bridge, which connects Cúcuta with San Antonio del Táchira. During a tour of the area, a Venezuelan guard told EFE that the deterioration is not new, but worsened with the recent rains, because the flow of the Táchira River mainly hits the Venezuelan side in that sector. Officials from the National Roads Institute also inspected the bridge bases on the Colombian side on Saturday and confirmed that they are in good condition, although they confirmed that they are aware of the structural damage in the neighboring country's sector.