Cúcuta

Cucuta sits on the Colombia-Venezuela border, a hot valley city whose economy has run on cross-border trade with San Antonio del Tachira just across the Tachira River for generations, shifting with the political relationship between the two countries at any given time. The city holds a formal place in Latin American history as host of the 1821 Congress of Cucuta, which drafted the constitution uniting Gran Colombia under Simon Bolivar. An earthquake in 1875 leveled much of the colonial town, so most surviving architecture dates from the rebuilding that followed. The dry, warm climate and Andean foothills nearby give Cucuta a different feel from Colombia's cooler highland cities. Talent covering Cucuta lists here on a subscription basis, and the platform handles the booking and the payment.