Venezuela, Colombia agree to allow vehicle parts cross border

The governments of Venezuela and Colombia agreed on Thursday to let their citizens cross the border with tires and auto parts for personal use.

According to a deal reached by President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia last week, the agreement is part of the gradual process of re-opening the shared border of the two countries, which had been closed for almost a year.

While the initial agreement stated only personal items, such as foodstuffs, clothing and medicine, could be brought across the border, the governor of the Venezuelan state of Tachira, Jose Vielma Mora, asked the Colombian side to allow tires and auto parts to be added to the list.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry issued a statement Thursday that this request had been accepted and that, starting at once, Venezuelans could take home up to four tires each or a single auto part needed for their own vehicle.

"Each person with these items must comply with the established migration rules, such as possessing a migration card, a form of ID and the receipt for the purchases," the statement read.

The border was re-opened to foot traffic on Aug. 13, after a long closure ordered by Venezuelan President Maduro, following alleged attacks on Venezuelan soldiers by paramilitary groups acting from inside Colombia.

On Friday, the ministers of health, commerce and transport from both countries will meet in Caracas for a joint summit. Endit