Venezuela’s U.N. Envoy Defends Crackdown Along Border With Colombia

The Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations offered an impassioned defense on Tuesday of his country’s border closings with Colombia, arguing that illicit trafficking of domestic fuel, food and other goods by Colombian smugglers accounted for 35 percent of all Venezuelan economic output. The ambassador, Rafael Ramírez, a former foreign minister, energy minister and head of the national oil company, said the action was a response to what he called increasingly brazen acts by Colombian smugglers and other criminals, as well as acquiescence by Colombia’s government. He said smugglers had been sending 100,000 barrels of inexpensive Venezuelan gasoline and diesel fuel over the border every day and selling it at enormous profits. More…