Venezuela closes key crossing with Colombia after three soldiers shot

Venezuela closes key crossing with Colombia after three soldiers shot

President Nicolás Maduro to bolster military forces at major border crossing after two lieutenants and captain were shot dead by people who fled on motorcycles

Associated Press in Caracas
Thursday 20 August 2015 16.04 EDT

Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has ordered the temporary closure of a major border crossing with Colombia and said on Thursday he would bolster military forces there following an attack on three soldiers who were looking for smugglers.

Maduro announced in a national broadcast that he would “raise the presence of state forces to the maximum” in response to the shooting of two lieutenants and a captain by people who fled on motorcycles.

The president earlier announced a 72-hour closure of a normally busy crossing in western Tachira state, and vowed to mount a special mission to boost protection for Venezuelans living along the 1,400-mile (2,200-kilometer) border.

The area has long been plagued by violence stemming from Colombia’s long-running conflict, the presence of drug-trafficking gangs and now by smugglers of cheap goods from Venezuela.

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/20/venezuela-maduro-colombia-border