In September, Panama's immigration authorities recorded a surge in U.S.-bound migrants passing through the Darien Gap jungle trail, largely driven by Venezuelans who fled the country in the wake of the July 28 fraudulent presidential election. The Associated Press reported. reported Over the weekend.
The surge recorded in September follows the launch of efforts led by President José Raul Mulino's administration to curb the flow of migrants passing through Panamanian territory on their way to the United States after taking office in July.
The Darien Gap is a dangerous jungle trail that Panama shares with Colombia and the only land bridge connecting South and Central America. The overwhelming majority of the hundreds of thousands of migrants who have passed through the Darien Gap are Venezuelan nationals, as well as migrants from other South American and Asian countries, such as Colombia and Ecuador. Chinacontinue passing the trail on its way to the United States. in 2023Panama Immigration Department documented 520,085 migrants crossed the Darien Valley.
According to the latest information from authorities, statistics25,111 immigrants passed The number of people who passed through the Darien Gap in September increased by 51.23 percent from the 16,603 recorded in August. Venezuelans accounted for 78.83% of the total number of Darien crossings in September, with a total of 19,800 registered encounters, up from 11,733 in August.
almost 8 million Venezuelans are ran away Their country has changed significantly over the past decade as a result of the collapse of socialism in their country. Venezuela's migrant crisis, said to be the worst in the Western Hemisphere, is only comparable in scale to the crises in Syria and Ukraine, but it is notable because Venezuela has not been at war in recent history.
“The post-election crackdown on July 28, 2024 in Venezuela has already led to an increase in migration,” Washington-based NGO Refugees International said in a report shared with The Associated Press.
Venezuela's socialist government held a fraudulent election on July 28, and dictator Nicolas Maduro was elected. occupied 13 types His place in the vote was “competed” by a small number of hand-picked “rivals” and Edmundo González, 75, a former diplomat and the only real opposition candidate allowed to run.
Maduro, who controls all of Venezuela's institutions, including the country's electoral authorities, claims he “won” the election. The opposition presented evidence, a tally of local voters, that suggested Mr. González defeated the dictator in a landslide. The dictator's fraudulent claim of victory sparked protests across Venezuela, and President Maduro responded with brutality. persecution According to United Nations estimates, this campaign left 27 people died and more 2,400 detained so far. Dozens of children are reportedly among those imprisoned. tortured He was then charged with “terrorism.''
Maduro's regime also persecutes dissidents through smartphone use application was established.re-education campFor dissidents. President Maduro commissioned construction at two of the country's prisons, which were emptied of prisoners by the ruling socialists last year. Gonzalez eventually ran away He entered Spain in September after Maduro's government issued an arrest warrant for him on criminal charges related to the election.
Other countries in the region, such as neighboring Brazil, have also seen a noticeable increase in the number of Venezuelan migrants arriving in the region on a daily basis in recent weeks following a fraudulent election in July.
In early September, far-left President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a longtime ally of Venezuela's socialist regime, said The government said it would continue accepting migrants fleeing Maduro's regime, but hoped Venezuela would quickly “return to normal” and migrants could return home “as soon as possible.”
in him speech At the United Nations General Assembly in September, President Murino of Panama declared the flow of U.S.-bound migrants through his country an “incalculable global problem.” With so many immigrants passing through his country, “America's border” is functionally in Panama, he said. Mulino called for joint international efforts to curb the influx of migrants, stressing that his country does not have the resources to resolve the crisis on its own.
After taking office in July, Mulino's government began efforts to restrict the flow of migrants through the Darien Valley. Some recently implemented policies include: install barbed wire fence across the common route of the jungle trail, Demolition “VIP” route service used by Chinese immigrants, sign transaction Work with the US to launch US-funded deportation flights.
The Associated Press said in a report that Panama will not deport Venezuelans on these flights because Panama is one of several countries supported by the Maduro regime. broken They severed diplomatic relations after refusing to recognize the socialist dictator's electoral “victory.”
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
