Hundreds of thousands of migrants are crossing through Panama’s Darién Gap, a previously impassable stretch of jungle that connects South America and Central America.
Migrants from countries in the Western Hemisphere, such as Venezuela, Haiti, and Ecuador, have joined migrants from other continents like Asia and Africa to shatter migration records in the small Central American country. Nearly 400,000 migrants could pass through the gap in 2023, with almost 200,000 having already crossed so far, according to United Nations estimates, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The record-breaking number of migrants is reportedly disturbing the region’s indigenous population, which is estimated to be near 10,000 people.
Typically, the indigenous population lives in villages or hamlets of just several hundred people without running water, electricity, or paved infrastructure. Large influxes of migrants have allegedly left debris and trash that native populations are unable to deal with.
Rivers are the primary transportation method and the region’s economic lifeblood. Locals depend on the rivers as a food source, with the fishing economy providing important nutrition in a densely-packed tropical environment. Now, locals report that the corpses of dead migrants are polluting the river and poisoning the drinking water that indigenous communities rely on.
There are no official estimates on the number of deaths in the region because of the area’s inaccessibility, but the migration route has become known as “the road of death.”
The deteriorating situation in Panama has attracted the attention of U.S. policymakers, who are seeking to combat the continent-wide migration crisis.
Recently, Florida governor and Republican presidential primary contender Ron DeSantis released an immigration plan highlighting his concern with the gap. He claimed he would close the gap to stop drug cartel trafficking, halt future caravans from South America, and prevent the Chinese government from asserting control over the Panama Canal.
In May, senior White House officials also urged President Joe Biden to consider sending U.S. troops to the region to combat drug smugglers and human traffickers.
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