15/12/2016

VENEZUELA

Colombian border town forced into role of Venezuelan villain | Miami Herald

DECEMBER 14, 2016 4:26 PM

Colombian border town, once again, forced into role of Venezuelan

villain

1 of 3

BY JIM WYSS
jwyss@miamiherald.com

BOGOTA,COLOMBIA CesarRojas,themayoroftheColombianbordertownofCcuta,hasgrownaccustomedtohiscitybeingVenezuelas
punchingbag.
Inrecentmonths,Caracashasaccusedthelow-slungtownofabout600,000ofbeingahubforparamilitarygangsandahotbedofconspiracies
andplotsaimedatdestroyingthesocialistrevolution.
ButRojassaiditshistownthatsunderattack,particularlythisweek.Inrecentdays,Caracasannouncedthatitwaseliminatingitslargest
denominationbill,the100bolivarnote,andgivingpeopleuntilThursdaytotradeintheircurrency.
ADVERTISING

Learn more

Butinaddition,Venezuelaunilaterally,andwithoutwarning,closedits1,274-milefrontierwithColombiafor72hoursfreezingoutbolivarholdersonthissideoftheborder.
InCcuta,wherebordertradeisthelifebloodandmanystoresacceptVenezuelancurrency,themoveistantamounttoeconomicwarfare,Rojas
said.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article120903918.html

1/4

15/12/2016

Colombian border town forced into role of Venezuelan villain | Miami Herald

JustafewmonthsagoVenezuelawasaccusingusofbeingparamilitaries,hesaid.Nowtheyreattackingusagain,butitsnothingbuta
smokescreen.
VenezuelanPresidentNicolsMadurosaidthedrasticmeasuresareintendedtopunishmaasandcurrencyspeculatorsinCcuta,whomhe
accusedofhoardingmorethan300millionbolivaresaspartofaschemetodestabilizeVenezuelaseconomy.
OnWednesday,banksinCaracaswereseeinglonglinesofpeopletryingtoturnintheirnotes,andlocalmediasaidmanystoresinVenezuela
werenolongeraccepting100bolivarbills(about15cents).
Afterthenotebecomesdefunct,holderswillhaveanadditional10daystotradeintheirbillsattheofcesoftheCentralBank.ButCentralBank
PresidentNelsonMerenteswarnedthatnoteveryonewillbewelcome.
Speakingabouttheshadowyforcesalongtheborder,Merentessaidbankswouldnotacceptmoneyfromthoseholdinglargequantitiesofbills
thattheycouldntexplain.
Theycanholdontothemasakeepsakes,Merentessuggestedforthosecaughtwiththeworthlesspaper.
ThebolivarfreezeisablowtoCcuta,whichhasbecomeanescapevalveforVenezuelansseekingfood,medicineandothergoodsthatare
scarceontheirsideoftheborder.Colombianimmigrationauthoritiesestimatethatabout60,000VenezuelansadayenterColombiathevast
majoritythroughCcutaandmosttodoshopping.
Rojassaidhesbeenholdingemergencymeetingswithmerchantgroupsandtheassociationofcurrencytraderstorespondtothecrisis.However,
hesaidhebelievestheywillweatherthestorm.LocalmerchantsareusedtobeingburnedbyerraticVenezuelanpolicies,hesaid,sotheyve
triedtolimittheirdailyexposuretoVenezuelascurrency.
Inaway,thebusinessesinCcutawerepreparedforthissurprise,hesaid.ThepeoplewhowerereallyhurtweretheVenezuelanswhohad
crossedthebordertodoshoppingandgottrappedhere,andnownoonewillaccepttheirmoney.

Trading History
Fordecades,tradebetweenthenationshasthrived,astrucksladenwithColombiancoalandtextilesheadedintoVenezuela,andbeefandgrains
owedout.
ButonAug.19,2015,MaduroclosedtheborderforalmostayearasheblamedColombianparamilitarygroupsforattackingguards.Healso
saidtheclosureswereneededtokeephiscountryssubsidizedgoods(includingcookingoil,ourandgasoline)frombeingsmuggledinto
Colombiaandsoldataprot.

Venezuela reopens border with Colombia for rst time in almost a year

0:40

MadurohaslongblamedtheshortagesofbasicgoodsonColombiansmugglers.Likewise,hesalsoblamingVenezuelasrapidlydevaluing
currencyandskyrocketinginationonColombiancurrencymanipulators.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article120903918.html

2/4

15/12/2016

Colombian border town forced into role of Venezuelan villain | Miami Herald

Duringthoselongmonthsofturmoil,CcutasbusinesseshavehadtoretoolandbegintradingwithothercountriesinSouthAmericaandeven
CentralAmericaratherthantheirneighborsjustafewmilesaway,Rojassaid.
Wevehadtolookforalternatives,heexplained.
AndhehopesVenezuelaslingeringcrisismightcreateotheropportunitiesforhiscommunity.
TherearesomanyVenezuelanindustrialistswhowanttoeetheviolenceofthecountry,Rojassaid.Wedlikeforthemtomovehereto
Ccuta.

MORE VENEZUELA

SponsoredLinksbyTaboola

YOU MAY LIKE

OfficeHome&Business2016forMac
microsoftstore.com

TinyDeviceAllowsYouToTrackAnything(it'sGenius!)
TrackrBravo

HistoricPhotosThatBeenWithheldFromThePublic
HistoryInOrbit.com

MissGreatBritainlosescrownforhavingsexonrealityshow
OddChatter

COMMENTS
1 Comment

Sort by Oldest

Add a comment...

Frank Little
The mayor of Cucuta is smart to invite Venezuelan businesses to set up shop in his town. It could not be any worse than starving and dying without food and
medicine in Venezuela.
Like Reply

1 11 hrs

Facebook Comments Plugin

Police Make Terror Arrests In The Midlands

DERBY, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 12: Police guard the entrance to Leopold

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article120903918.html

3/4

15/12/2016

Colombian border town forced into role of Venezuelan villain | Miami Herald

Powered By

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article120903918.html

4/4