The announcement comes as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro takes office again, which has been largely ignored by the international community following the fraudulent elections of July 28.
The governor of the Venezuelan state of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, has announced the closure of the border with Colombia until next Monday, in response to alleged "information about an international conspiracy to disturb the peace" that would coincide with the start of the new presidential term in Venezuela.
Bernal said the measure was in response to an "instruction" from President Nicolás Maduro and would be in effect for four days, starting at 5:00 a.m. (local time) on Friday. The governor appealed to the "understanding" of those who may be affected, particularly those who cross the border daily.
"Rest assured that we have absolute control of the State and we will guarantee the tranquility and peace of all the people of Chiriqui under any circumstances," Bernal stressed in a video released by his office on social media.
Migración Colombia had already warned in a recent statement that it saw a "possible" closure of the common border in view of the presidential inauguration organized by Maduro in Caracas this Friday and in anticipation that the opposition leader Edmundo González could also try to enter Venezuela.
According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, Bogotá received notification of the closure on Thursday "through the appropriate diplomatic channels," although it has clarified that it does not only affect land crossings but also airspace, which implies the suspension of flights.
The Foreign Ministry explained on its social media account X that this is a "unilateral" measure derived from "internal reasons", so on the Colombian side the borders "will remain open."