The United States government will extend its “wall” to the Darien jungle, after financing the new Panamanian government of José Raúl Mulino with 6 million dollars, to deport irregular migrants to various countries.
Marcela Escobari, special assistant to President Joe Biden and coordinator of the Los Angeles Declaration; Luis Miranda, principal deputy assistant secretary for communications at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and Eric Jacobstein, deputy assistant secretary of state in the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, reported yesterday during a conference call that this is a pilot program focused on migrants entering from the Colombian jungle without a legal basis to remain in Panama.
“We recognize that the situation in Darien is unsustainable and in many cases tragic. We hope that this action will dissuade migrants from the great risk involved in crossing Darien,” Escobari said, asking people seeking to reach the United States to use legal means.
According to data from the Government of Panama, more than 195,000 migrants crossed the jungle between Colombia and Panama in 2024, the majority of them of Venezuelan origin, while in 2023 there were more than 520,000 people registered.
Agreement signed with Mayorkas
According to the U.S. official, Panama committed to strengthening its border control on Monday, after signing the pilot plan with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Miranda explained that through the memorandum of understanding, the Department of State’s foreign support program allocated funds for training, logistics, training and capacity building of the Panamanian government in its deportation flight program.
“The repatriation program already exists in Panama, but is limited,” so the Joe Biden administration will strengthen it.
Jacobstein said deportations could begin in a few weeks and will be to all countries detected, although the majority of people arriving in the United States through the El Paso Sector and who have crossed the South American jungle are of Venezuelan origin.
“It is difficult to calculate exactly how many repatriations there will be, there is no specific nationality, the repatriations will not apply to a country but to all people who do not have a legal basis to be in Panama,” said Jacobstein.
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