The Latin American Report # 336

Migration

Yesterday, through the Venezuelan case, we became somewhat involved again with the regional migration dynamics, particularly that which passes through the dangerous Darién Gap (migrants continue to report sightings of dead bodies along the physically and financially costly journey). Now individuals from Latin America and the world who venture into the rugged jungle do so in fear of being returned to their by Panamanian authorities. Especially in the cases of Colombia, Ecuador, and India, nations that have already agreed to receive their nationals on flights financed by the U.S. Treasury. The still-young administration of José Raúl Mulino ordered the closure of several furtive crossings on the border with Colombia, copying a bit the style of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's barbed wire fences.

Thus, as of last Wednesday, there was a considerable 35% reduction in the flow of migrants through the Darién compared to last year. Still, we are talking about some 260,000 individuals moving irregularly, given to adventure, mother nature—in one of its savage versions—and pillaging. Venezuelans, as usual, remain the largest national group, representing almost 70% of the entire migratory pie. As some experts argue, it is true that this does not solve the causes of migration, but Mulino seems to be solving the problem in his country.

For irregular migrants, the resulting picture implies resorting to other routes, as or more dangerous than the Darién Gap, such as the so-called “VIP” that makes a stopover in the Colombian tourist island of San Andrés, and from there continues sailing through the Caribbean waters towards Nicaragua. So, Panamanian authorities reported the “rescue” of more than 70 migrants last Thursday, along with the arrest of alleged coyotes who were transporting them in clandestine boats near the maritime border with Colombia, in the jurisdiction of Guna Yala, one of the four Panamanian Indigenous districts. This would be another Caribbean route, which places the migrants further north of the Darién. By the way, we are talking about a coastal area used by drug traffickers. Last Friday agents of the Panamanian Naval Air Service seized more than 3 tons of cocaine there, that were being transported there in a “go fast” type boat.

Further north

Meanwhile, in Mexico, a human rights organization accused U.S. Customs and Border Protection of rejecting migrants at the Tijuana border despite having asylum appointments scheduled through its official mobile application. According to the director of the binational organization Al Otro Lado, these rejections—about ten cases a week at least—occur without any explanation from U.S. agents. Those returned must undergo another long wait for a new appointment, usually lasting months, exposed to violence from criminals and extortionist “authorities”. The organization also denounces cases of scams in which migrants have paid people—on Mexican soil—who present themselves as “specialists”, handing them forged printed documents. U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris visited the border this week, trying to project a tougher position on immigration. “When Kamala speaks about the border, her credibility is less than zero,” says Trump, who again manipulated the issue last Friday from official information.

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.

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