Venezuela Extends Closure of Key Border With Colombia

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has extended indefinitely the closure of a popular border crossing with Colombia and declared a 60-day state of emergency in several western cities as authorities attempt to reassert control in a notoriously lawless area where three army officers were shot. Maduro's action late Friday followed his earlier decision to enforce a 72-hour closure of the normally busy crossing in Tachira state and deploy hundreds of additional troops in response to the shooting that wounded two lieutenants and a captain who were patrolling for smugglers. Maduro said the Simon Bolivar international bridge would remain closed until the assailants are caught. He says the 60-day state of emergency, which can be extended for another two months, would allow security forces to regain. More…