Why Venezuela keeps Colombia’s president up at night

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has confided to the White House that one of his biggest concerns is how a Venezuelan collapse could undermine years of secret meetings and formal negotiations to end the bloody civil war that killed thousands in his country over more than half a century. Already, Venezuela’s economic and humanitarian crisis has driven thousands across the border into Colombia in search of jobs, food and safety. Santos and many other Colombian leaders fear that a complete collapse in Venezuela could lead to chaos in Colombian border communities precisely as the government is trying to re-establish control in formerly rebel-controlled areas. More…