Venezuela extends state of emergency to third border state

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced he will extend a state of emergency to another 10 municipalities on the border with Colombia. Three of them are in Apure state. The others are in the state of Zulia, parts of which had already been placed under a state of emergency. The move is part of a crackdown on crime near the border, where smugglers and guerrilla groups are active. The crackdown has heightened tensions between Venezuela and Colombia. The president did not say if border posts in Apure would also be closed as they have been in the states of Tachira and Zulia. More….