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| It was the first time in a year that Venezuela opened the border (Reuters) |
Thousands of people have crossed to Colombia after Venezuela opened their common border to allow its people to buy food and medicine, officials say.
The frontier, closed by Venezuela last August as part of a crime crackdown, was to open for 12 hours.
Venezuela is going through a deep economic crisis and many say they struggle to feed their families.
Last week, about 500 Venezuelan women broke through the border controls in search of food.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the border closure because, he said, the area had been infiltrated by Colombian paramilitaries and gangs.
The measure also prevents subsidised goods from being smuggled from Venezuela into Colombia.
Some 35,000 people crossed the border between San Antonio del Tachira, in Venezuela, and Cucuta, in Colombia, a Colombian official told the BBC.
What is behind the shortages?
- Venezuela grows and produces very little except oil and has historically relied on imports to feed its people
- Oil prices have plummeted leaving the government with a shortfall of income
- A lack of dollars means it is struggling to import all the goods its people need and want
- The socialist government introduced price controls on some basic goods in 2003 to make them affordable to the poor
- But up to 40% of subsidised goods were smuggled across to Colombia to be sold at a profit
- The opposition blames government mismanagement for the shortages
- The government says the shortages are the result of an economic war being waged against it
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