On their way to the USA, tens of thousands of people cross the rainforest between South and Central America. The terrain and criminals make the Darién one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world.
Ten people were swept away by a raging river on the impassable migration route through the Darién jungle in southern Panama. Their bodies were found near the community of Carreto on the Caribbean coast of the Central American country, the national border authority said. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating.
Many people from South America, the Caribbean and other regions of the world make the dangerous journey between South and Central America, mainly with the aim of reaching the USA. The US border lies thousands of kilometers further north. Around 520,000 adults and children used the route last year.
The new Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, who took office on July 1, had 4.7 kilometers of barbed wire erected on the southern border to close six irregular passages and leave only one safe corridor open. The government wants to reduce the number of migrations and better combat the smuggling gangs.
Despite the establishment of the humanitarian corridor, international gangs would continue to try to smuggle migrants through the irregular border crossings, the border authority said in its statement on the drowned migrants.
On the day of his inauguration, Mulino’s government signed an agreement with the US government to return migrants to their home countries. According to this agreement, Washington will cover the costs of the flights. According to the Panamanian government, the return of the migrants will be voluntary. Irregular immigration is one of the dominant issues in the 2024 US presidential election campaign.
The Darien jungle is considered one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world – not only because of the partly mountainous, partly swampy terrain, but also because of the criminal gangs active there, who often rob or sexually abuse people. The migrants are fleeing poverty, violence and political crises in their home countries.
