Colombian soldiers patrol the so-called "trochas," illegal trails on the Colombia-Venezuela border near the Simon Bolivar International Bridge in the municipality of Villa del Rosario, outskirts of Cucuta. Venezuela closed its border with Colombia on the grounds of an "international conspiracy" as President Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013, prepares to take the oath of office for a third term despite a global outcry that brought thousands out in protest on the ceremony's eve. IMAGES