Residents and traders along the Colombia-Venezuela border say rising uncertainty linked to U.S. pressure on Venezuela is fueling anxiety and dampening cross-border activity, even as daily life continues on both sides of the frontier.
The Simon Bolivar International Bridge links Cucuta, the capital of Colombia's Norte de Santander province, with San Antonio del Tachira in Venezuela.
On the Colombian side lies La Parada, a bustling hub of taxis, food stalls and vendors that for decades has served as both a transit point and a pillar of the local border economy.
For people living here, shifts in international politics are felt not as distant news headlines but through changes in security measures, traffic flows and consumer behavior - often detected first by those whose livelihoods depend on the border.
In recent weeks, uncertainty stemming from continued U.S. pressure and threats has weighed on expectations among residents and traders.
"Now we really are a bit afraid. The situation between the U.S. and Venezuela makes us feel tense and under pressure. After all, people living in border areas face risks all the time. Everyone is watching what the U.S. and Venezuela will do. The United States keeps saying there will be action, but then nothing happens immediately. That uncertainty makes people worried," said a Colombian stall owner Patracia.
On the Venezuelan side of the bridge sits San Antonio del Tachira, one of the country's best-known border cities. Leonid, a 56-year-old shop owner from Peru who has lived there for more than three decades, echoed those concerns.
"What the U.S. is doing makes us uneasy, but people can only stay calm, keep living, keep working. Overall, daily life here is still normal. But we do often talk about it and wait to see what will happen next," he said.
For Venezuelan vendor Socorro, the international situation has already had tangible effects. Despite year-end travel for family visits, he said overall cross-border movement is down from previous years, with spending and travel becoming more cautious amid security concerns.
"Changes in relations between Venezuela and the U.S. have already had a clear impact on community life. Talk of possible action against Venezuela has made many people afraid to go out. For people like me who depend on street stalls and small business to survive, business has been directly affected. Shops and streets have become quieter because people worry that going out could be risky," said Socorro.
One word was repeated again and again by the residents on both sides of the border when they talked to our reporter: peace.
"We do not want war. We only want peace," Colombian resident Miriam said.
US-Venezuela tensions stir anxiety in Colombia-Venezuela border communities
