Venezuela's Maduro says border with Colombia to reopen

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Friday ordered the reopening of the country's border with Colombia in western Tachira state, near where international aid refused by Caracas has amassed.

The economically-devastated South American nation is suffering from shortages of food, medicine and other essentials amid a power struggle between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has been recognised as interim president by more than 50 countries including the United States.

Announcing the reopening of the frontier on Twitter, Maduro said: "We are a people of peace that strongly defends our independence and self-determination."

The leader, however, did not say whether crucial border bridges, closed since August 2015 after two Venezuelan soldiers were wounded by suspected smugglers, would be unblocked.

Maduro in February ordered the total closure of land frontiers with Brazil and Colombia, as well as sea and air links with the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean.

Guaido wanted to .