The Colombia–Venezuela Boundary Treaty of 1941, officially the Border Demarcation Agreement and Navigation of the Common Rivers between Colombia and Venezuela, and unofficially the López de Mesa-Gil Borges Treaty, was an

agreement Agreement may refer to: Agreements between people and organizations * Gentlemen's agreement, not enforceable by law * Trade agreement, between countries * Consensus, a decision-making process * Contract, enforceable in a court of law ** Meeting o ...

signed between the governments of

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

on the land border limits on April 5, 1941, in Colombian city of

Cúcuta Cúcuta (), officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian municipality, capital of the department of Norte de Santander and nucleus of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta. The city is located in the homonymous valley, at the foot of the Eastern ...

, by the Ministers of Foreign Relations of Venezuela, Esteban Gil Borges, and Colombia, Luis López de Mesa. After almost 60 years of negotiations on the demarcation of the Venezuelan–Colombian border (1881–1938), the treaty of 1941 put an end to this long process. In this treaty, both parties acknowledged that the border had been fully demarcated, differences over boundary matters were completed, and recognized the work carried out by the 1901 Demarcation Committee and the Swiss experts Committee as valid demarcation. The exchange of ratifications of this agreement was made in

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...

, on September 12, 1941. The land border between Colombia and Venezuela is a conflict zone of perennial tension between the two countries, due to problems such as

Illegal drug trade The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...

, smuggling or illegal trade, the presence of high-risk diseases that often spread on both sides of the boundary lines, and the presence of the Colombian guerrillas.

References

External links

Efemérides venezolanas (the treaty text is at the bottom of the page)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Venezuela-Colombia Boundary Treaty of 1941 History of Venezuela History of Colombia Colombia–Venezuela border Colombia–Venezuela relations Treaties concluded in 1941 Boundary treaties