- Panamanian President says 66% of migrants crossing the Darien River are Venezuelan | Photo: EFE
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino warned on Thursday, July 25, that if the political situation in Venezuela “worsens” after the July 28 elections, the migratory flow through the Darién jungle would increase in the “very short term.”
“If the situation (in Venezuela after the elections) improves, then it can be deduced that many fewer people will want to risk passing through the jungle (of Darien). If the political situation worsens, in another scenario, let’s prepare ourselves because that (the migratory flow) will increase in a very short period of time,” said the Panamanian president in a press conference. He stressed that 66% of the migrants who cross the Darien are Venezuelan.
In his view, the Venezuelan presidential elections would be one of the last opportunities for the country to open up to a “democratic and peaceful world.”
“Let the people find the solution they consider most appropriate,” he stressed.
This is not the first time that President Mulino has expressed concern about the impact that the elections in Venezuela will have on migration to his country.
On July 18, he stated in another press conference that “well-conducted” elections in Venezuela would possibly reduce the migratory flow through the Darien jungle.
Panama’s need to reduce migration
Panama is trying to reduce migration through the jungle. Since Mulino came to power, several measures have been taken, such as installing “perimeter barriers” (barbed fences) in some areas of Darien to close unauthorized crossings and “channel” the flow.
In addition, the Panamanian government signed an agreement with the United States to return migrants who cross the Darien jungle by plane.
According to data from Panamanian authorities, more than 216,000 migrants, most of them Venezuelans, crossed the Darien jungle between January and July 22. While in all of 2023, there were more than 520,000, an unprecedented figure.
Statements by other presidents
Like Mulino, some presidents in the region have spoken out about Venezuela’s presidential elections, mainly in response to President Nicolás Maduro’s statements about what could happen if the opposition wins on July 28.
On July 22, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, urged the Venezuelan president to respect the electoral process.
“Maduro has to learn that when you win, you stay, and when you lose, you leave and prepare for another election. I was scared by that statement. If (Maduro) wants to contribute to solving Venezuela’s growth problem and the return of those who left, he has to respect the democratic process,” he said in an interview with international journalists.
On July 25, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, He backed the statements of his counterpart in Brazil. He recommended that the Venezuelan State provide guarantees of “transparency and competitiveness” in the elections of July 28.
“I agree with Lula’s statements that, under no circumstances, can one threaten with bloodbaths. What the leaders and candidates receive are a shower of votes that represent popular sovereignty,” Boric stressed.
He added that these elections are, in his opinion, a “decisive event” for the country to overcome the crisis of recent years.
With information from EFE
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2024-07-25 21:47:21
