It’s the biggest
migratory crisis Panama has faced since
2015-2016, when about 60,000 people crossed the
Darien Gap, an exodus that prompted governments
to temporarily close borders in Panama, Costa
Rica and Nicaragua. / VOA courtesy photo
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Panama sees surge in migrants crossing perilous Darien
Gap toward the United States or Canada
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By the A.M.
Costa Rica wire services
According to VOA report, Venise Felizor lay on
a mattress in a warehouse-turned-shelter on a hot,
sticky afternoon with her 20-month-old son, Wesly, in
her arms, the boy coughing and wailing after suffering
from diarrhea for days.
Originally from Haiti, they recently appeared in this
tiny Panamanian village after a six-day hike through the
jungle along the Colombian border, where armed robbers
stole her husband’s backpack containing the $1,000 that
he had saved from two years working in Chile. The
thieves raped three women in their group.
"The way was very dangerous," said Felizor, 26. "I
thought my son was going to be lost. I saw scenes of
death."
Panamanian authorities are struggling to contend with a
spike in the number of migrants passing through what is
known as the Darien Gap, a roadless, lawless region of
tropical isthmus that is one of the most dangerous
stretches for people heading north from South America,
usually toward the United States or Canada.
It’s the biggest migratory crisis Panama has faced since
2015-2016, when about 60,000 people crossed the Darien
Gap, an exodus that prompted governments to temporarily
close borders in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
According to the National Border Service of Panama, or
Senafront, 7,316 migrants came through the Gap this year
as of April 18. Such traffic tends to fall off during
the imminent rainy season, but the numbers are still on
pace to well exceed the 9,678 who made the passage last
year and potentially rival 2015-2016.
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Is the Government ready to handle this new wave of
immigrants coming from Panama toward North America? We would
like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your
comments to: news@amcostarica.com |
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