Eastern Colombia —Boyacá, Santander and Norte de Santander— is much safer than it was before 2003. After President Uribe’s program to demobilize paramilitary forces and neutralize the guerrilla armies, roads are now heavily patrolled by the Colombia military. Expect frequent checkpoints, especially traveling toward the Río Magdalena, the less-frequented areas bordering Venezuela and into the Sierra Nevada de El Cocuy. If journeying to Barrancabermeja, El Banco and other towns on the Magdalena River, stay on main roads and in the villages; the surrounding countryside may not yet be secure. Trips along the Venezuela border cannot be recommended at this time, since it is still a “hot zone,” with many conflicts between Colombia’s civil war factions. The exception to this is Cúcuta, the major crossing between the two countries.