New Panamanian pres. to crackdown on illegals moving through his country

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Panama's newly elected President José Raúl Mulino has pledged to "close" the Darién Gap, a swampy jungle on the border with Colombia that serves as a major passageway for migrants heading north to the United States. Going further, Mulino even suggested the possibility of constructing a wall to curb migration.

'The border of the United States, instead of being in Texas, moved to Panama,' said Mulino, who previously held the role of Minister of Security under ex-president Ricardo Martinelli. He stressed the urgency of regulating the high influx of migrants and curbing related criminal activities, including robbery and assault.

Last year alone, over half a million people, among them 113,000 children, braved the hazardous crossing — a significant rise from 24,000 in 2019. Human Rights Watch reports that migrants and asylum seekers often become victims of sexual violence while crossing the Gap.

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