Darién’s name becomes a habit in the media of the independent press Venezuela. Every now and then a story stands out, each more unfortunate than the last. According to specialized migration authorities, Venezuelans are the largest national group transiting the dangerous jungle that separates Colombia and Panama.
The Darién Gap, which marks the border between Colombia and Panama, spans approximately 5,000 square kilometers of jungle, rivers and mountains. His name has become synonymous with one of the world’s most dangerous routes for refugees and migrants. For Venezuelans fleeing the general crisis in their country, this is the first litmus test of a long journey United States of America as the ultimate goal.
More than 130,000 people crossed the Darién Jungle in 2021, according to Panamanian authorities. Of these, almost 3,000 were Venezuelans. In the first two months of 2022, around 2,500 Venezuelans made the crossing and were registered by the Panamanian government.
On April 11, a joint statement by the two UN agencies, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Refugee Agency (UNHCR), ranked Venezuelans as the largest group identified by nationality in risky transit this year 2022. Venezuelans have already surpassed Cubans and Haitians.
The two UN agencies announced a joint effort with the government of Panama to create reception centers for migrants. However, no agency is addressing the underlying problem: the actions of criminal gangs operating within this area, exploiting and committing abuses of various kinds against a vulnerable population.
Weeks ago, the story of a Venezuelan caused a stir. María, who identified herself in front of the cameras without showing her face, told how she was raped by seven men in front of other people while trying to reach Panama. Three other women and a 13-year-old Cuban girl were raped in the act, the woman told Miami-based TVV, which is run by Venezuelan journalists.
Women crossing the Darién Gap suffer “systematic” sexual violence during the journey, and there are even reports of gang rapes with impunity. This was documented last March by the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) following a visit to the Migrant Reception Centers (ERM) set up by Panama, where migrants are received once they have crossed the jungle.
CEJIL’s director for Central America, Claudia Paz y Paz, warned that in 2022 a much larger migratory movement by the Darién was observed. In the months of January and February 2021, an average of 1,000 emigrants per month were registered, this year it was more than 4,000 per month at the beginning of 2022.
CEJIL warned that since September 2021 there has been an explosion in human traffic through this dangerous corridor between Colombia and Venezuela.
According to Venezuelan migrants, those who have some resources are carrying out a kind of cabotage with an equally illegal sea route between Colombia and Panama to avoid going through the jungle on foot.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Caracas confirmed Venezuelan migrants overtook Haitians as the main group crossing the dangerous Darien Gap.
“In 2021, Haitians accounted for nearly 80% of migrants entering Panama via the Darién. That has changed this year. Streams consist of migrants who want to cross the country on their way to Germany United States of America‘ according to a recent OCHA report.
Last March, the Los Angeles Times reported on the dramatic story of Rosmary González, a 45-year-old Venezuelan who lost her four-year-old son and her 50-year-old husband when the whole family attempted to cross the Darién Gap jungle earlier this year 2022 one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world and the only route connecting South America with North America.
The journey that migrants make through this inhospitable area is about 130 kilometers. In addition to the criminal gangs operating there, the migrants have to make their way on foot through dense vegetation in high temperatures, crossing rivers and swamps.
In 2021, Panama registered migrants from more than 50 countries who had crossed the Darién, including African and Asian countries.