Darien Gap.....

       I know nothing about the the Darien Gap.  I had never heard of it in my geography class...

    Migrants risk death on the journey to the United States....Hundreds of thousands of migrants from Haiti, Venezuela and elsewhere risk their lives each year to cross the Darien Gap between Columbia and Panama.  The Darien Gap is an imposing obstacle and  one of the most dangerous migration risks.  The remote, roadless, crossing consists of more than 60 miles of dense rain forest, steep mountains and a vast swamp.  It is the only overland path connecting Central and South America.  Over the past few years, it has become a leading transit point for migrants in search of work and safety in the US, as authorities have cracked don on others routes by air and sea.

    However, migrants face many challenges on this land journey northward including treacherous terrain, exposures to disease and violence at the hands of criminal groups.  International aid organizations have sought to manage the crisis by setting up temporary housing and providing basic services to those arriving in Panama.

    Migrants Under Pressure....Economic insecurity, political upheavals and climate change are driving millions of people from their home countries.  According the the Panamanian government, more than 520,000 migrants crossed the Darien Gap on route to the US in 2023.  Approximately 1/5 of those who made the crossing were children.  The majority of migrants were from Venezuela, followed by Ecuador and Haiti.  The number of Venezuelans crossing the gap has increased as the humanitarian situation in their home country grows more dire.

    Aside from Sonafront, Panama's national border service, there is no police force in the area and no formal road, making it difficult to stop arms and drug trafficking or find help.

    The journey is really bad especially when the rain comes.  It is just mud, rivers and going up mountainsides non-stop.  Deep in the jungle, robbery, rape and human trafficking are  as dangerous as wild animals, insects and absolute lack of safe drinking water.

    In March 2024, the Panamanian government suspended Doctors Without Borders operations in the country.  In July 2024, newly elected President Jose Mulino installed barbed wire fencing thru the jungle to dissuade crossings.

    Again, violence, poverty and hope for a better life conditions drive families with children to flee their home and face inhospitable environments such as the Darien Gap.

Netflix - Split at eh Root

Prime video - The Darien Gap documentary.