Panamanian President-elect Jose Raul Mulino celebrates with his supporters after being declared the winner of the presidential election, according to preliminary results from the electoral authority, in Panama City on May 5, 2024. (Daniel Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Panama had previously helped bus migrants through the critical gap and allowed them to continue their journey north, a policy that has allowed thousands to reach the U.S. border with Mexico.
The shift comes as the U.S. has put continued pressure on Mexico to help alleviate the crisis, calling on the country to help enforce movement restrictions through its territory to prevent migrants from eventually reaching the U.S. border.
The Darien Gap, although a dangerous route north toward the U.S., has become a popular route among migrants in recent years, with cartels and other organized crime organizations stepping in to make it an affordable option for those seeking to reach the United States.
Migrants, mostly from Ecuador, Haiti and Nigeria, are shown walking in the Darien Gap in Colombia on Nov. 20, 2022. (Jan Sochor/Getty Images)
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"A daily plane, which would be extremely expensive, would only repatriate around 10% of the flow (about 1,000 to 1,200 per day). The United States only manages to do about 130 flights monthly in the entire world," Isacson said.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/newly-elected-president-of-panama-vows-to-shut-down-critical-migration-route