During his electoral campaign, Petro was in Norte de Santander and met in Cucuta with footwear and manufacturing entrepreneurs with whom he discussed the urgency of industrializing the border and improving relations with Venezuela and thus face the economic crisis and commercial life in the region.

He stressed that, if the two markets are opened, more than 94 million people on both sides of a 2,219-kilometer border would benefit.

He also raised the need to promote a trans-border railway project, whose objective is to boost the economy and trade.

“Reviving a project that our grandparents had done, which is the railway from Norte de Santander, Tachira, to Maracaibo. That could completely boost the industrial expansion of Cucuta and, therefore, make Cucuta one of the most prosperous cities in Colombia”, he said.

Petro also stated during his electoral campaign that he would resume relations with the government of Venezuela, interrupted since 2019 by decision of the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, blaming the administration of Ivan Duque of supporting aggressions against Venezuela, in collusion with the United States and the Venezuelan extreme right.

pgh/llp/mv/otf