10 Migrants Drown Crossing Rushing River in Panama's Darien Gap

Authorities reported that ten migrants drowned while attempting to cross a rushing river in Panama’s Darien Gap, an area bordering Colombia. The Panamanian National Border Service confirmed the tragic incident on Wednesday. According to their statement, the victims were swept away by the strong current of the river, and their bodies were later found near the Indigenous community of Carreto.

An official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the investigation, indicated that the drownings likely occurred on July 16. However, the remote location of the incident delayed the release of this information. The prosecutor’s office is currently investigating the details surrounding the tragedy, including the nationalities of the victims. It is noted that over half of the migrants traversing the Darien region come from Venezuela.

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In 2023, a record-setting 500,000 migrants undertook the perilous journey through the Darien Gap. This year, over 212,000 migrants have already entered Panama through this treacherous route. The rainy season, which has intensified the already hazardous river crossings, has further compounded the dangers faced by migrants.

Newly elected Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has vowed to curb migration through the Darien Gap, seeking assistance from the U.S. government to address the crisis. Before the latest drownings, Panama’s border police had reported at least 29 migrant deaths this year, and 84 deaths were recorded last year. The recent drownings are among the deadliest incidents in recent memory.

In February, five Afghan migrants drowned and one went missing while attempting to enter Panama by boat from Colombia. The current drownings occurred shortly after the Panamanian government implemented measures to block popular migration routes with barbed wire, aiming to funnel migrants to a central receiving point. However, such enforcement efforts sometimes push migrants toward even riskier and more remote routes.

The National Border Service’s statement highlighted that despite efforts to block certain routes, “transnational organized crime through local collaborators in Caribbean coastal communities continues to exploit unauthorized paths, putting the lives of migrants at grave risk.”