Panama is currently facing one of the largest migration crises in the continent\u2019s history, with thousands of migrants passing through the Dari\u00e9n Gap. This is one of the most inhospitable jungles in the world, where former guerrillas, drug traffickers, and human trafficking mafias converge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dari\u00e8n Gap is a 130-kilometer stretch that interrupts the Pan-American Highway, which runs from Chile to Alaska. It is estimated that in 2023, a record number of over half a million people crossed the Dari\u00e9n jungle heading to the United States. This number represents more than 12% of Panama’s population; if extrapolated to other migration crises, like those at the U.S. southern border or in southern Europe, it would mean enormous numbers for the receiving countries. Of these migrants in transit, more than 60% come from Venezuela, highlighting the deep social and political crisis affecting the Bolivarian country and its consequences in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his speech on September 25, 2024, at the United Nations Assembly, Panamanian President Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Mulino emphasized these figures and called for greater international involvement, describing the human tragedy and its impact on Panama. He highlighted not only the economic burden (over $100 million in the last five years, according to Panama\u2019s Ministry of Security), but also the severe environmental impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the study Social, Economic, Environmental, and Political Impact on Communities in the Republic of Panama from Extraregional Migrants Entering Through the Dari\u00e9n Gap<\/em> by the Technological University of Panama<\/a>, each migrant generates about 9 kilograms of waste during their journey. For a five-day journey, this amounts to 1.81 kg per day, totaling more than 900 tons of waste, considering the over half a million people who have passed through in 2023. It is important to note that Dari\u00e9n contains a 5,790 km\u00b2 Biosphere Reserve, declared a World Heritage Site in 1981.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Between 2010 and 2021, slightly over 3,000 Venezuelans crossed the Dari\u00e9n, but in 2022 alone, this number exceeded 150,000, and in 2023, it doubled. One reason for the sharp increase in Venezuelan migration through the Dari\u00e9n was Mexico\u2019s and several Central American countries\u2019 decisions to require visas from Venezuelan migrants. This led many people, who could not legally reach Mexico, to cross through the Dari\u00e9n, demonstrating the need for coordinated responses rather than isolated actions by different countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Panama, migration is not yet a primary concern for citizens. According to LAPOP Lab 2023 data, less than 1% of the population considers migration the country\u2019s main issue. For migrants in transit, it\u2019s important to note that the Dari\u00e9n is one of the least populated areas in the country, with only 1.3% of the national population living in the Isthmus\u2019s largest province. Thus, only a small segment of the population witnesses the migrants\u2019 transit. Nevertheless, 61% of those surveyed believe that Panama and the international community should assist these migrants in transit, and this figure rises to 71% among younger respondents. In other words, Panamanians show empathy for this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n