Lives on the Petroleum Frontier: Sovereign Power and the informal petrol economy in the Colombian border-city of Cúcuta

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In the Colombian border city of Cúcuta, a large percentage of the economy is informal; a significant proportion of that is related to the sale of petrol bought cheaply across the border in Venezuela. The Nicolas Maduro-led, Venezuelan government perceives this informal economy as a threat to its Bolivarian revolution and when diplomatic negotiations between the two countries fail, the border is formally closed by Venezuelan forces. This leaves Colombo-Venezuelan families separated and informal-economic enterprises impeded. At the same time the Colombian government either turns a blind eye to informal economies or is impotent to stop them. Cúcuta is heavily affected by the decisions made in the capital cities of Bogota and Caracas. The most obvious physical manifestation being border enforcement, but also seen in the social and economic lives o f Cúcuteños.