METETÍ, Panama, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — Presidents of Panama and Costa Rica Laurentino Cortizo and Rodrigo Chaves on Friday expressed support for the Mexican government’s initiative to address the migration crisis at a possible next regional summit to be held in Mexico on March 22 October.
Both leaders showed their support in a press conference from the town of Metetí, in the eastern Panamanian jungle province of Darién, which borders Colombia and where they traveled to conclude the visit that Chaves is making to Panama since this Thursday to address the problem of migration.
In a joint statement, the two presidents called for an urgent meeting of the region’s heads of state to address the issue, deeming it essential that all countries of origin, transit and destination take part.
They also called for the involvement of cooperation partners and international organizations to work together to “address the challenges of this moment in a pragmatic way, without losing sight of the causes of migration.”
“This requires immediate intervention to adapt our countries’ capacities to attend to and manage migration flows, with the aim of ensuring that they are orderly and safe for migrants and our communities. It is a shared responsibility,” they explained.
And they added: “The actions that emerge from this meeting must have tangible and immediate results.”
“We invite the leaders of the region to visit Darién and witness the enormous gravity of this humanitarian crisis,” added the leaders, who began the agenda this morning with a private meeting at Marcos A. Gelabert Airport opened Panamanian capital.
The heads of state also conducted a helicopter flyover in the Darién municipalities of Canaán Membrillo, Bajo Chiquito and Río Tres Bocas, an entry area for irregular migrants in Darién.
They then landed, visited the Lajas Blancas immigration station and watched from the shore the continuous arrival of canoes (boats) full of migrants along the Chucunaque River.
During their meeting, the two presidents agreed to provide 200 buses to transport migrants, thereby facilitating their journey to the United States.
According to Chaves, those crossing the Darién jungle will be placed on buses that go directly from the Temporary Migrant Assistance Center (Catem) in Costa Rica’s southern border area to Peñas Blancas across the border. with Nicaragua.