Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino closed migrant transit centers along the Darién Gap. Since 2016, this jungle corridor has served as a major route for over a million migrants heading north.
We have received warnings from Panama since Barack Obama was President that terrorists were exploiting the route.
According to Mulino, the number of people crossing through the region en route to the United States has dropped by 98% in the last year, largely due to mass deportations ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, deterring many from continuing their journey north. Some migrants even reverse the route, returning to their home countries.
The Darién Gap has primarily been traversed by Venezuelans fleeing economic collapse, as well as Colombians, Ecuadorians, Haitians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Afghans, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Much of the damage has been done.
The treacherous passage from Colombia has long been controlled by paramilitary groups profiting from smuggling operations, charging migrants approximately $350 each to cross. Many have died along the way due to river surges, criminal violence, and exposure to the harsh jungle environment.
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