The elected president of PanamaJosé Raúl Mulino, who takes power on Monday, announced this Friday that he will sign an agreement with USA to jointly repatriate the migrants that cross the inhospitable jungle of Darien.
The document, according to Mulino, will be signed on Monday during a meeting with the Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States, Alejandro Mayorkas, who will visit Panama for the inauguration of the new president.
“That day I hope to sign a respectful and dignified agreement with the United States so that between the two countries we can begin the repatriation processes of all these people who are accumulated here.“said Mulino when visiting the Lajas Blancas Temporary Reception Center for Migrants, in the province of Darién, about 250 km east of Panama City.
Mulino toured the place accompanied by future ministers and spoke with several migrants.
“I have seen crises in Darién from another dimension, but this one jumped over the fence. I can’t and it broke my heart to see children the age of my grandchildren asking me for a bottle of water.”Mulino stated.
The Darién jungle, covering 575,000 hectares, on the border between Panama and Colombia, has become a corridor for thousands of migrants who, from South America, try to reach the United States in search of job opportunities.
In 2023, more than 520,000 people crossed this route, despite facing dangers such as rushing rivers, wild animals and criminal groups. Many die on the way. So far this year, nearly 200,000 people have already passed through the Panamanian jungle.
Mulino also stated that he will denounce internationally the migration crisis facing his country.
“Panama will file an international complaint with the United Nations to whomever is appropriate or in whatever way is appropriate, because I am not going to blame anyone, but I will raise a serious voice of protest, because our country will not continue to tolerate this.”held.
“Our country cannot continue to bear this economic problem, this humanitarian crisis and an underlying moral problem here.”, he concluded.
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Source: Gestion
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