economy
May 6, 2026
Inside Venezuela
When the United States deployed a military operation in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, the immediate question at the border crossings with Colombia was how many people would move. The answer, at least according to official records for the first quarter, is that practically no one did so extraordinarily. Between January and March 2026, Migración Colombia counted almost 11 million migratory flows on the Colombian-Venezuelan border: 5.4 million entries into Colombia and 5.4 million returns to Venezuela. The daily average was above 58,000 movements in each direction, a figure that, far from suggesting a crisis, describes the routine of a border that has breathed at that pace for years. To put it in perspective: in 2025, the daily average was over 73,000 entries and exits, implying that the first quarter of 2026 was actually below the previous year's pace. The report, prepared by the Observatory of Migrations, Migrants, and Human Mobility (M3) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was designed precisely to detect atypical movements at a time of high political tension. The conclusion is that there were none.
TL;DR
- Migratory flows on the Colombian-Venezuelan border in the first quarter of 2026 were routine, with no extraordinary increase following a US military operation.
- The daily average of movements (over 58,000) was lower than in 2025, indicating a normalization rather than a crisis.
- Norte de Santander, particularly Cúcuta, absorbed the vast majority (86.8%) of border movements, highlighting its structural importance for cross-border trade and labor.
- Colombia is increasingly acting as a transit country for Venezuelans, rather than a final destination, with many continuing their journeys to other South American countries.
- The operational stability of border flows is a relevant signal for Colombian businesses, indicating that logistics and commercial exchange remain accessible.
- The border region functions as a resilient commercial system, absorbing shocks while accumulating underlying tensions.