CARACAS: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro declared a state of emergency in an area bordering Colombia after an attack on Venezuelan soldiers who were conducting an anti-smuggling operation.
Maduro earlier in the week announced a 72-hour closure of the normally busy crossing in Tachira state and the deployment of hundreds of additional troops in response to the shooting of three army officers- two lieutenants and a captain – while patrolling for smugglers.
Venezuela closed its border with Colombia for the first time past year, in a similar attempt to stop smugglers.
