The Venezuelan-Colombian border opened for a temporary 12-hour period on Saturday to allow struggling Venezuelans to buy much-needed food and medicine.
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The crossing of citizens through the border pass connecting the Colombian city of Cucuta and Venezuela’s San Antonio del Tachira took place in an orderly manner and under security, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
Colombian immigration authorities, the army and the police will increase and strengthen their presence and monitoring of the metropolitan zone to preserve public order.
The border is set to remain open for a total of 12 and a half hours.
Last week 35,000 crossed over for the first time since the border was closed a year ago by President Nicolas Maduro to fight cross-border crime.
The measure was extended later to all border checkpoints between the two countries, which share a 2,219km land border.
Venezuelan President Maduro blames the shortages of basic staples on his opponents, whom he accuses of trying to sow economic chaos to oust him while his critics accuse his socialist government of economic mismanagement.
Officials said they wanted to avoid the build-up of too many people.
Venezuela has suffered crippling shortages for months, a ripple effect from the falling price of oil, the country’s primary export. Global observers have been quick to blame Maduro for his mishandling of the state-led economy.
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He ordered the border to be closed in August 2015 after former Colombian paramilitaries attacked a Venezuelan military patrol and wounded three soldiers.
