Located on the border between Panama and Colombia, the Darien jungle was crossed in 2023 by more than 520,000 people wishing to reach the United States.
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The president-elect of Panama, José Raul Mulino, pledged Thursday, May 9, to return migrants who cross the Darien jungle from neighboring Colombia to try to reach the United States. “We will launch, with international assistance, a process of repatriation, while respecting human rights, of all the people found there”declared José Raul Mulino, who was elected Sunday at the head of this pivotal state on the migratory route in Central America.
On April 16, he promised to “close” to migrants the Darien jungle, which extends over 575,000 hectares and 266 kilometers long on the border between Panama and Colombia. More than 520,000 people, the majority Venezuelans, crossed, risking their lives, this inhospitable region in 2023. And more than 110,000 in the first quarter of 2024, according to official statistics.
On May 7, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken called for sanctioning those who facilitate “illegal migration”, during a regional conference in Guatemala on migration. Some 2.8 million illegal immigrants enter the United States each year. In the middle of an election year, immigration has emerged as one of the key issues in the campaign pitting Democratic President Joe Biden against his predecessor Donald Trump. The Republican candidate continues to accuse the Democratic president of not fighting enough against illegal immigration.
