International treaties for the development of the Colombian-Venezuelan border

Abstract

The Colombia-Venezuela border is a broad, imaginary geopolitical line of more than 2,200 km that extends between major urban centers. Historically, it has been marked by significant formal and informal trade, along with armed violence and migration. Therefore, the purpose of this article –through a hermeneutical and documentary assessment– is to analyze the international treaties between the two countries from the following perspectives: socioeconomic and cultural; insecurity and insurgency linked to commercial and territorial control; through historical summaries of signed agreements; and finally, to briefly describe the state of the art of current relations since the recent reestablishment of diplomatic relations. The diplomatic reopening in 2022 revitalized legal trade; however, challenges such as institutional mistrust and political polarization persist. The study concludes that transforming the border into a space of equity requires inclusive policies, cultural integration, and social development to overcome decades of mistrust