Colombia, Venezuela restore diplomatic ties after 3 years

Caracas/Bogota, Aug 29 Colombia and Venezuela have re-established full diplomatic ties, three years after Caracas severed them over Bogota's support for opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Colombian Ambassador Armando Benedetti on Sunday arrived in Caracas while Venezuela's Felix Plasencia was welcomed in Bogota on the same day,reports dpa news agency.

"We are starting to work to rebuild the social and human fabric that unites us," the Colombian presidency said in a tweet with photos of Benedetti's arrival in Venezuela.

Before setting off, Benedetti had said in a tweet that his mission was to "rebuild ties with our neighbour and repair the damage caused in the hearts of our peoples as a result of a rupture in relations that should never have occurred".

Colombia's new leftist President Gustavo Petro and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro had announced they would restore diplomatic relations earlier in the month.

Maduro's government severed relations with Bogotá in February 2019 after then President Ivan Duque recognised opposition leader Guaido as Venezuela's interim leader.

Dozens of countries recognised Guaido, but he has not succeeded in ousting Maduro, who has the backing of the army.

Maduro won a second term in a controversial election in 2018.

An economic meltdown and political unrest have sent millions of Venezuelans fleeing abroad.