Nearly 176,000 Venezuelans have crossed the Darien to the US this year

Venezuelan migrants cross the Darién every day to reach the United States / Photo: El Impulso

At the Lajas Blancas Temporary Reception Center for Migrants, new arrivals find shelter in wooden barracks or tents. This center, managed by the Panamanian government in collaboration with international organizations, offers basic services to migrants before they continue their journey to Costa Rica, the next stage in their journey to the United States.

According to The ImpulseAmong the migrants is Rosa Pérez, a 40-year-old Venezuelan, who mourns the disappearance of her son’s half-brother, swept away by the current of a river. His son miraculously survived. “When they were crossing the river they slipped and he (his son) got out because his bag floated, (but) the other boy didn’t, I don’t know if he got out,” says Pérez, showing a photo of the missing young man.

A New Migratory Wave?

In 2023, more than 520,000 people crossed the Panamanian jungle, facing dangers such as rushing rivers, wild animals and criminal groups. This year, the number has been reduced to 260,000 migrants, two-thirds of them Venezuelans. “It is expected to close the year with less quantity than in 2023” due to the “blocking of the illegal crossings that existed” in the Darién, says the commissioner of the border police of Panama, Alexis de Gracia.

The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, has expressed concern about a possible increase in Venezuelan migrants after Maduro’s re-election. “Political instability is one of the generating causes of mass migration (…) Venezuela is a concrete example,” Mulino stated in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

Reduction of Venezuelan Migrants

Despite concerns, the number of Venezuelans has decreased. As of September 25, some 176,000 Venezuelans crossed the jungle, 30% less than in the same period in 2023. Since taking power on July 1, Mulino has deported Colombian, Ecuadorian and Indian migrants on flights financed by the United States. United, under a bilateral agreement. However, Panamanian authorities are allowing Venezuelan migrants to continue their journey as Caracas banned Panamanian flights due to criticism of Maduro’s re-election.

“More people are going to leave Venezuela as long as this government continues,” comments Venezuelan Marcos Arcilla to an international news agency.

Puerto La Cruz / El Tiempo Editorial Team