11/15/2024 2:13:59 PM
(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama)
Following the largest migration crisis in the history of Darien in 2023, the governments of Panama, Colombia, and the United States – which is the destination sought by most people crossing the barrier – have implemented multiple strategies to mitigate this problem.
Among the most notable actions are the closures of specific points with wire, the increase in manpower in the jungle and several humanitarian flights in which more than 800 migrants have been returned, with the exception of Venezuela due to the termination of relations between the government of José Raúl Mulino and the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro.
Since Venezuelan citizens are the ones who arrive in Panama the most from the Darien, the Panamanian government has sought to mediate with a third country to receive migrants, but so far they do not have an agreement with any nation.
Despite these unresolved issues, there has been a 38% reduction in migrant passage through the Darien Gap so far in 2024.
While authorities boast of improved figures on migrant crossings in the Darien, a report by La Razón exposed the new strategy being implemented by migrants and criminal groups to allow more and more people to reach Central America and continue their journey to the United States.
This report states that due to the increased fear of entering the Darien and the increased presence of authorities at the entrance to Panama, more and more migrants are hiring boatmen to take them from Chocó to Costa Rica.
“Since crossing through Darien is more difficult, many people have decided to cross by sea, which is about a four-hour boat ride,” declared Eunice Rendón Cárdenas, director of the Agenda Migrante initiative to La Razón.
The cited media stated that the boatmen would be charging between 2,000 and 3,000 dollars per person who wants to begin this journey, which also puts their lives at risk, since this type of boat is not adapted to navigate in the middle of the sea.
Migrants who managed to reach Costa Rica this way told Cárdenas that with this method they do not have to give explanations to the Panamanian police and that they arrive in Costa Rica in a place where there are no negative stories of death compared to the Darién, where“things are tough.”
“Yes, there have been changes with the new president who arrived in Panama, since upon his arrival he signed an agreement with the United States to participate in this block of countries that contribute to preventing people from reaching the United States,” said Rendón Cárdenas.
Similarly, the activist indicated that the policies implemented in 2024 have made it easier for Colombian armed groups to have a greater presence in the area, since migrants seek them out to ask for help in completing the journey, even if they have to pay for it.
This position was supported by Luis García Villagrán, spokesman for the Center for Human Dignity, who questioned President Mulino’s position and stated that people who enter the Darién“will always migrate” and find in the jungle a“trip for the poor” who cannot afford to reach the United States legally.
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Publish date : 2024-11-15 06:59:00
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