Colombian police were stationed on the Tachira River, near the Simon Bolivar Bridge, on the border with Venezuela on Sunday, to prevent Venezuelans from bypassing immigration controls after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro officially reopened the border.
As thousands lined up on the bridge to officially cross into Colombia, others attempted to bypass the queue and procedure by crossing the river on foot, before they were stopped by the heavy police presence stationed there.
“Citizens use this informal pathway as a gateway into the country in the morning and as a means of return in the evening,” says Jose Luis Palomino Lopez of the Cucuta police.
The border was closed by Maduro in February to prevent delivery of foreign aid into Venezuela, which is in the midst of a political and economic crisis.