Colombia/Venezuela: Mobilization on Colombian border draws regional ire

Event

On Tuesday, July 17, ten Latin American governments expressed their concern over Venezuela's recent military deployment along the Venezuela-Colombia border. The move has particularly strained relations between Venezuela and Colombia, whose president, Iván Duque, has signaled his intent to lead a chorus of countries from the Organization of American States (OAS) in denouncing the actions of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and bringing it before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The continuation of strained diplomatic relations is expected between Venezuela and neighboring countries in the near-term. Related demonstrations are possible in Colombia and other Latin American nations in the coming weeks.

Context

In the first half of 2017, Venezuela was shaken by four months of violent anti-government protests, provoked by ongoing political, economic, social, and health crises. Significant unrest also broke out in 2014 following the last presidential election and again in early 2016. Hundreds of people have been killed during protests, many by security forces who have repeatedly been accused of excessive use of force, with thousands more injured and arrested. While the frequency and intensity of protests has fallen significantly in recent months, the potential for further large-scale demonstrations and associated violence persists.

Advice

Individuals in Venezuela are advised to strictly avoid all protests and political events due to the high likelihood of violence and to remain up to date on the current sociopolitical developments. Individuals in Colombia are advised to actively monitor developments, avoid all demonstrations and large public gatherings as a precaution, and refrain from traveling to the Venezuela-Colombia border region.