Panama’s newly elected president, José Raúl Mulino, vowed to close a major passageway for migrants heading toward the U.S. border.
“I will make the effort to end this migratory crisis in our territory with respect for human rights and with sincere international participation,” Mulino said last week.
“The border of the United States, instead of being in Texas, moved to Panama," said Mulino, the former public security minister who was elected on Sunday. “We’re going to close the Darien and we’re going to repatriate all these people.”
Last year, more than half a million people crossed the hazardous Darien Gap on the border with Columbia. In addition to the difficult terrain, many migrants also become victims of sexual violence.
Panamanian authorities have reported finding 124 bodies in the gap between January 2021 and April 2023. These figures most likely represent only a fraction of the number of deaths, based on the authors’ interviews with migrants and humanitarian workers. Drowning seems to be the primary cause of death, though exposure and illnesses were also common.
There are also dangers from other humans. Criminals who operate in the jungle and one-off bandits threaten and rob migrants. Doctors Without Borders has treated more than 200 victims of sexual violence so far this year, most of them women and girls, including cases of rape and sexual abuse committed during robberies. (Human Rights Watch)
In a statement responding to his election victory, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the efforts to curb the flow of migration through the Darien Gap was a shared goal.
“I look forward to continuing our strategic partnership and advancing our shared goals of democratic governance and inclusive economic prosperity,” Blinken said on Monday. “Looking ahead, the United States will continue to work with Panama on our common goals of inclusive, sustainable economic growth, bolstering citizen security, and cooperatively curbing irregular migration through the Darien.”