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WORLD NEWSThursday 27 August 2015
Venezuela, Colombia vow more cooperation in border dispute
PEDRO MENDOZA mally met by curbside
smugglers who purchase
Associated Press gasoline in Venezuela at
less than a penny a gallon
CARTAGENA, Colombia and resell it for huge profits
in Colombia.
(AP) — The foreign ministers With two main border
crossings closed, the un-
of Colombia and Venezu- derground economy has
come to a halt, satisfying
ela promised to increase Venezuelan officials who
have long blamed trans-
cooperation Wednes- national mafias for wide-
spread shortages but also
day following talks to jeopardizing the livelihood
of tens of thousands of
ease heightened tensions poor Colombians who de-
pend on the black market.
caused by the closure of a On Tuesday, a group of 100
Colombians fled the border
major border crossing and town of San Antonio del
Tachira by wading across
a weeklong crackdown on a knee-deep river with their
possession, everything from
Colombian migrants and TVs to doors, slung across
their backs.
smugglers. Colombian President Juan
Manuel Santos offered to
Diplomats left the meeting help returning Colombi-
ans find work during a visit
in this Caribbean coastal Wednesday to an emer-
gency shelter in Cucuta
resort without announcing overrun with deportees,
and promised deported
a decision to re-open the citizens a subsidy of about
$80 to help them land on
border crossing or end the their feet.
Earlier, in a speech in Bo-
deportations from Venezu- gota, he ran through a
series of economic and
ela, only saying that de- crime statistics, everything
from projections Venezu-
fense officials from the two ela’s economy will shrink 7
percent this year to wide-
countries would talk in the spread shortages compa-
rable to those found in war
coming days to form a joint
plan for border security. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro gestures during a news conference at Miraflores presi-
dential palace in Caracas, Venezuela. The foreign ministers of Colombia and Venezuela prom-
Meanwhile, in the Colom- ised to increase cooperation Wednesday following talks to ease heightened tensions caused by
the closure of a major border crossing and a weeklong crackdown on Colombian migrants and
bian city of Cucuta, resi- smugglers.
dents complained of long (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
gas lines as Venezuela’s
security offensive cuts off
trade, legal and otherwise, zones like Syria, in a sharp near the border where The socialist leader has
retort to the aggressive Venezuelan President Nico- vowed to keep two nor-
between the two nations. rhetoric coming from Cara- las Maduro blames migrant mally busy international
cas in recent days gangs for rampant crime bridges closed, and pos-
Across the border, scores “Venezuela’s problems and smuggling that has sibly extend restrictions to
are made in Venezuela, caused widespread short- other transit crossings until
of Colombians packed they’re not made in Co- ages. The crisis was trig- Colombian authorities help
lombia or other parts of the gered a week ago when bring order to the porous,
their belongings into suit- world,” Santos told a forum gunmen Maduro claimed 1,400-mile (2,200 kilometer)
of former presidents from were paramilitaries linked border. A state of emer-
cases and prepared for an around the world. to former Colombian Presi- gency allowing the gov-
While some 5 million Co- dent Alvaro Uribe shot and ernment to restrict peoples’
army escort out of Venezu- lombians live in Venezuela, wounded three army offi- movement for up to 60
the security offensive has cers on an anti-smuggling days has been declared in
ela, joining the estimated focused on a few towns patrol. six states. q
1,000 of their compatriots
who have already been
deported.
Donamaris Ramirez, the
mayor of Cucuta, says he
plans to order gas stations
to remain open 24 hours
to attend to demand nor-
Top Argentine presidential candidates talk about economy
Daniel Scioli, the provincial governor of Buenos Aires who’s running for president, in Buenos Aires, PETER PRENGAMAN governor of the Buenos Ai-
Argentina. The presidential election is set for Oct. 25 this year. Scioli on Wednesday presented Associated Press res province, also argued
different visions of how to improve the South American nation’s economy. BUENOS AIRES, Argentina that the nation of 41 million
(AP) — Argentina’s top was on sure footing. Scioli
(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) presidential candidates frequently walks a fine line,
on Wednesday presented calling for change while
different visions of how to being careful not to alien-
improve the South Ameri- ate Fernandez supporters
can nation’s economy at who are key to his chances
a time of soaring inflation of winning Oct. 25.
and a sharp devaluation of “Let’s build on top of what
the peso. Ruling party can- has already been built,”
didate Daniel Scioli, the Scioli said. Mauricio Macri,
designated successor of the outgoing mayor of Bue-
President Cristina Fernan- nos Aires and leading op-
dez, said the natural-re- position candidate, is the
source-rich country should clear favorite of the busi-
increase production of its ness community, in part
top commodities and cre- because of promises to lift
ate development plans for restrictions on buying U.S.
each. Scioli, a former vice dollars and lower export
president and currently the taxes.q
