The Latin American Report # 261

The Darién Gap

In the first five months of the year, Panamanian authorities have registered a slight increase of 2% in the number of irregular migrants entering the country through the Darién Gap. For the first time in this January-May period, the figure exceeds 170,000 migrants, with a projection that by the end of the year there will be a new annual record of around 600,000 migrants.

Keeping with the trend of recent years, Venezuelans continue to be the group that crosses the inhospitable jungle the most, with seven out of every ten migrants coming from the land of Bolívar. Ecuadorians and Colombians complete the “podium” although very distant from the Venezuelan numbers, followed by Chinese and Haitian migrants. The arrival of José Raúl Mulino to the Herons' Palace could mean a drastic change in the management of the migratory crisis.

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Kidnapped in México

A Venezuelan migrant tells that in the jungle he saw three corpses lying on the side of the road, and also two migrants drowning in a river. However, his main drama was in Tapachula, where he was kidnapped along with his family and 12 other Venezuelans by a gang. “I never imagined there was anything more dangerous than the Darién Gap,” he said recently to Venezuelan media. The man paid $300 for the freedom of his people and is now working in the capital, where he appears to be bidding for one of the 1,450 daily slots provided by the CBP One application. However, his case does not qualify for political asylum.

Business as usual

The prosecutor's office of the border state of Chihuahua in México reported the discovery of five bodies on a highway east of the capital city. The corpses, in an advanced state of decomposition, were recovered by prosecutors and police, who were trying Friday to “establish the cause of death and how long they had been [in such state]”. On May 30, precisely five cab drivers who provided services through an app were reported missing. There could be some connection here with the trafficking of undocumented immigrants.

Unprecedented shooting at Panamanian university

Two men opened fire on a group of agricultural science students, killing one of them, at whom the attack was aimed. “This person against whom [criminals] attacked possibly has quarrels with other criminal groups, which produces these regrettable criminal acts,” said an official, suggesting that the dead student, or the students in general, are involved in some criminal activity. The events occurred in the town of Santiago de Veraguas.

And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.