Our World: The Darien Gap
As the only break in the Pan-American Highway that stretches all the way from Argentina to Alaska, those wishing to traverse the Darien Gap must do so on foot. There is no road or infrastructure of any kind, and no law enforcement within this mountainous stretch of rainforest between Colombia and Panama. The temperature often hovers around 95 degrees Fahrenheit with incredibly high levels of humidity, and frequent rainfall batters the jungle, causing landslides. This sole overland path bridging South America and Central America witnesses tens of thousands of migrants crossing its 66 miles of treacherous terrain each month.
Map of the Darian Gap
In October 2021, UNICEF's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean stated in a press release, "Deep in the jungle, robbery, rape, and human trafficking are as dangerous as wild animals, insects, and the absolute lack of safe drinking water." According to the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 137 migrants, including 13 minors, died or went missing while attempting to traverse the Darien Gap last year. In a statement to Reuters, a representative from the IOM said, "The actual number of migrants who have died and disappeared in the jungle is much higher." Despite the significant risks involved, an estimated four hundred thousand migrants will attempt to brave the weeklong journey through the thick jungle of the Darien Gap by the end of 2023, with a substantial number being children. According to a UNICEF report, a record 40,438 minors crossed last year, with half of them under five years old and about 900 unaccompanied. This year, projections indicate that these numbers are likely to increase by 700 percent.
When CNN reporters ventured through the Gap in February of this year, they discovered that the drug cartels, which have long controlled the area on the Colombian side of the border, had carved a new route through the jungle. The previous route had become oversaturated due to the detritus created by the hazardous journey. These cartels are so organized and confident in their control that they distribute colored wristbands to migrants willing to pay $400 each for access to the jungle. Cartel members with megaphones stand at the jungle entrance, offering advice such as "go slow," "stay hydrated," and "be cautious of mudslides." Throughout the jungle, migrants will encounter more cartel members offering services, such as $20 to carry a bag, $100 to carry a child, or clean water for a price negotiated with the migrant. However, this organized assistance ends a day or so into the journey when the border to Panama is crossed, and Colombian cartels leave the migrants to navigate the rest of the weeklong journey on their own, guiding themselves by looking for scraps of blue cloth tied to trees by previous migrants to mark the path.
Now, imagine that, although you have survived this week of horrors in the Darien Gap, you are aware that many more obstacles lie ahead on your journey to the U.S. Upon exiting the jungle, you must pay $20 per person to board overloaded boats that land at a migrant reception center where, despite the efforts of the Panamanian government and various humanitarian organizations, resources are scarce, and the risks of sexual assault and extortion remain high. Upon leaving the migration reception centers with meager amounts of food, clean water, and medical supplies you could gather, the journey is far from over, as you must cross another half-dozen national borders.
We have all faced moments of transition in our lives, when we knew what our eventual goal was, but couldn't quite visualize it because it was so far ahead on our journey. Think of entering college, knowing that years of study lie ahead; moving to a new city, aware that you still have to find an apartment and secure a job; or having a child, knowing that the rest of your life will be profoundly different from the present. Those who are willing to face the challenge of traversing the Darien Gap find themselves in just such a moment of transition. We can't help but be inspired by how much they have achieved to make it this far, nor can we ignore the fact that they still have such a long way to go.
Resources:
- https://www.cfr.org/article/crossing-darien-gap-migrants-risk-death-journey-us
- https://www.worldvision.ca/stories/child-protection/darien-gap-migrant-route
