The Venezuelan government said Wednesday that its border with Colombia remains open despite a diplomatic impasse between both nations.
The impasse was triggered by the alleged weapon supply from Caracas to Colombian rebel groups.
Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez said despite his government’s decision to freeze diplomatic ties with Colombia, Venezuela had not issued any measures to close the border or block trade.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Tuesday announced his government’s decision to sever diplomatic and commercial ties with Colombia.
He ordered the withdrawal of all diplomatic staff in Colombia and added that economic and diplomatic ties with Colombia were frozen.
Chavez said the measure was an answer to the “irresponsible declarations” made by the Colombian government accusing Venezuela of selling weapons to the Colombian rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Bogota said some Swedish-made weapons bought by Venezuela during the 1980s had ended up in the hands of the FARC.
On Wednesday, Carrizalez said that weapon trafficking was a worldwide problem and that Colombia’s accusations were only based on pictures.
Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday called on both countries not to take commercial retaliation for the diplomatic impasse and to solve the conflict through dialogue.
The current spat further raised tensions between the two neighboring countries after Chavez previously called a stronger military relationship between Colombia and the United States a threat to his country.
Colombia announced earlier this month that the United States would use three Colombian bases to fight drug trafficking in the country.
Carrizalez said Wednesday that the Colombian government seeks “to justify what is unjustifiable” with the U.S. military bases in Colombian territory.