Tulcán, Ecuador (EFE).- The border crossing between Ecuador and Colombia reopened on Friday, ending the 19-day blockade in protest of the tariffs announced by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in response to Colombia’s alleged inaction on security issues.
Iván Flores, the executive president of the Ipiales Chamber of Commerce in Colombia, told EFE that the 19-day standstill was a “fair fight” for the private sector of international trade, which manages a logistics platform in Colombia’s Nariño department and Ecuador’s Carchi province.
“We are not major exporters in either country, but we facilitate the movement of goods between both,” he said.
Flores also noted that the situation’s impact on the border has been “significant, with an economy reduced by at least 95%, affecting all sectors as this international trade connects an entire commercial chain.”
He stated that 250 tractor-trailers cross the border daily and that economic activity generates 5.5 million dollars, supporting around 12,000 jobs.
“The opening was necessary for economic and social life on the eve of Holy Week,” Flores stressed.
Oscar Obando, president of the Border Workers’ Committee, said that after “several days of peaceful mobilization in defense of work, the economy, and dignity,” they ended the protest at the Rumichaca international bridge “in a responsible and respectful act toward the citizens of Ipiales” and “as a responsibility” to the communities.
In a statement, the Committee held the governments of Colombia and Ecuador, as well as the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), responsible for the “serious damages generated” and the “million-dollar economic losses,” as well as the future consequences of these decisions for families.
“Decisions made without considering the reality of our communities have jeopardized the livelihoods of merchants, transporters, foreign trade workers, and the thousands of people who depend on binational trade,” it read.
Obando also said that they managed to solidify meetings with authorities in Bogotá, Colombia, and a political meeting between representatives of the Ecuadorian and Colombian governments, which will be followed by a technical meeting, still without a defined date, as announced by Ecuadorian Foreign Affairs Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld on Thursday.
“These spaces prove that when the border unites, its voice is heard,” she said.
Carlos Bastidas, president of the Heavy Transport Federation of Carchi, said they are “happy” about the resumption of trade across the Rumichaca Bridge, which was closed for 19 days on the Colombian side and 10 days on the Ecuadorian side.
He also underlined that they demand the repeal of the tariffs and restrictions imposed when the trade war erupted, urging the CAN to “act urgently to put them to work, revitalize the border, and remove these barriers.”
The trade war began in January when Noboa announced a 30% “security tax” on Colombian imports due to Colombia’s alleged lack of action against drug trafficking and border insecurity.
From March on, the 30% tariffs between the two countries escalated to 50%, while Colombia closed its land border to a series of Ecuadorian products, including rice and bananas.
Colombia also cut off the electrical interconnection with Ecuador. In response, Ecuador increased the price per barrel for transporting oil from Colombia’s state-owned company, Ecopetrol, through Ecuadorian pipelines from 3 to 30 dollars.EFE
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