Like typical neighbors, the relations of Venezuela, Colombia, and Guyana have oscillated between cordiality and hostility; this is largely due to divergent political and ideological alliances. In 1800, Simon Bolívar conquered a sizable part of South America, called it Greater Colombia, and asserted his Bolivarian ideology (including Latin American integration). Greater Colombia included Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama. However, the Confederate Empire collapsed under the separatist wars, and Colombia declared its independence on July 20, 1810. On the one hand, being Latin America's staunchest ally, Colombia shares close sympathies with the United States, even ratifying the 'Defense Cooperation Agreement in 2009 that would initiate military cooperation with the United States and establish a US military base. On the other hand, Venezuela continues to vent its anti-Western and anti-globalization views, also convincing other Latin American countries through its diplomacy to follow the same ties and sever ties with the United States. Both see themselves as a real security threat, just as Colombia sees Venezuela as a country harboring rebel forces and arming them with sophisticated Russian-made equipment" - and Venezuela's mutual suspicions of Colombia's cooperation with the United States for its fall. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. However, from an economic point of view, both countries are interdependent (what factor saved their relationship difficult). Venezuela needs of natural gas and Colombian dairy products as meat, dairy and sugar products have soared due to socialist restrictions. And Colombia needs Venezuela's cheap oil and subsidized goods and food Furthermore, low transport costs greatly facilitate trade with well-developed infrastructure (border crossings). About 80% of trade between Venezuela and Colombia occurs through its road networks, creating around 300,000 jobs. However, as relations cooled, trade volumes dropped dramatically to just $1 billion around 2009 – the year of the recession and the year the alliance with the United States was signed. In 2015, bilateral trade contracted further when Nicolas Maduro ordered the closure of all open borders between Venezuela and Colombia and declared a state of emergency at the same time as Venezuelans complain of rampant crime, corruption and bankruptcies cheap, placing them on the shoulders of Colombians. In the 1980s, drug trafficking in Colombia thrived and gang rivalries reached a fever pitch and erupted when the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN) and right-wing paramilitary groups clashed. Blood, crime, violence and corruption lead to the displacement of millions of Colombians, many of whom find asylum in neighboring Venezuela. However, in the 1990s, Colombia suspected Venezuelan collusion with the rebels, financing them, arming them and providing them with refuge, which led to strained relations. On the other hand, Venezuelans attribute the increase in Venezuela's crime rate to Colombian immigration and illegal smuggling – which has led to the deportation of thousands of Colombians. The Venezuela-Colombia territorial dispute was also aggravated by maritime and submarine squabbles, however, in the 1990s, when both governments issued resolutions to comply with the San Pedro Alejandrina and Urena Declarations.