As he crossed the Tuquesa River, Venezuelan migrant Marcel Maldonado couldn’t hold back his tears. With an orthopedic leg, he had just walked through the unforgiving Darién jungle on the Colombia-Panama border.
On the riverbank lies Bajo Chiquito, the first Panamanian village where around 3,000 migrants, mostly Venezuelans accompanied by children, arrive daily in pursuit of the American dream. The relentless heat engulfs this village of 490 inhabitants, brimming with migrants who, after enduring a grueling trek through the jungle for three, five, or more days, finally find solace in hot meals and a safe place to rest, even if it’s outdoors.
Aside from the natural obstacles of the jungle, such as rivers and cliffs, criminal gangs operate here, committing thefts, kidnappings, and even sexual assaults.
Maldonado lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident a decade ago, but his disability didn’t deter him from embarking on the journey to the United States for a better life.
“All I wish for is to give my parents a good life in their final years, at least by providing them with food and essentials. That’s my biggest dream. That’s why I’m here in this struggle; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here because this ordeal is too harrowing,” says the 30-year-old Venezuelan, tears welling up.
The Darién natural border, spanning 266 km and 575,000 hectares, has become the obligatory corridor for thousands of migrants from South America seeking to reach the United States via Central America and Mexico without a visa. The majority are Venezuelans, but there are also Ecuadorians, Haitians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Afghans, and individuals from African countries like Cameroon and Burkina Faso. People of all ages, including a one-month-old baby, make the perilous journey.
“One exposes oneself to many things because that jungle is dangerous; there’s rape and everything,” says 77-year-old Venezuelan Reina Torres, who crossed the jungle with 12 family members.
Cruising the Tuquesa River, travelers feel relief as their jungle hike concludes, where many lost their money and phones to robbers. A litter of trash is left behind by migrants in the jungle, including boots, socks, plastic bottles, underwear, bras, cups, toothbrushes, and diapers. Many of these waste items also litter the banks of the Tuquesa River.
For Panama, this influx of migrants has become both a security and environmental problem, impacting local populations and leaving irreversible environmental damage that will take years to restore to normality.