OREANDA-NEWS. Colombia is adapting to Venezuelas controversial closure of its western border by providing extra fuel supplies and subsidies in affected parts of its frontier.

Ecuador hosted a lengthy, high-profile meeting yesterday between Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos to try to diffuse the border conflict.

The month-long closure and the suspension of constitutional guarantees in Venezuelan border towns are officially aimed at stopping the outflow of contraband fuel and food, and rooting out paramilitary and drug violence.

Maduro and Santos agreed to return their respective ambassadors, but Caracas will keep most of the frontier closed for now. Their foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Caracas tomorrow.

Colombia is sending extra fuel to its border areas that have long thrived off cheap diesel and gasoline smuggled out of Venezuela. On 18 September the energy ministry earmarked 2.2mn USG (52,400 bl) of fuel to be distributed gradually in the border city of C?cuta. Of the total, 60pc is gasoline and 40pc is diesel.

Bogota is also providing support, including fuel subsidies, for Colombian coal miners in Norte de Santander province to reroute trapped shipments that were routinely exported through western Venezuela into Colombia?s eastern port of Barranquilla instead.

Coal miners have a separate reserve of 1mn USG of fuel at El Zulia, La Virgen and Astilleros Ciro, which is dispatched exclusively to tractor trailers trucking coal.

Colombia's national police force are patrolling fueling stations in order to guarantee the legal distribution of fuel and keep supplies from flowing to other parts of the country, the energy ministry said.