Migrants in Darien speed up journey after hearing of Trump’s victory

Photo : AP

Jesús Chávez, a 34-year-old pastry chef from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, arrived in the small village of Bajo Chiquito on the edge of Panama’s Darien jungle on Friday, marking the latest milestone in his arduous journey north. Chávez, along with five companions—family and friends—had departed Venezuela the previous Saturday, driven by a shared goal of reaching the United States.

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Chávez explained that the group had been waiting for the results of Venezuela’s presidential election in July, but when Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner despite evidence suggesting otherwise, they lost hope. “We didn’t see any future there,” he said, adding that the political climate in Venezuela pushed them to seek a new life elsewhere.

The group entered the treacherous Darien Gap, a dense and dangerous stretch of jungle between Panama and Colombia, on Tuesday. It was during this perilous crossing that they first heard news of Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election. Chávez shared that their main focus now is reaching the U.S. border before January, hoping to use the CBP One app to apply for asylum at the U.S. border. The app, which allows migrants to schedule appointments with Customs and Border Protection, has been vital to many migrants seeking asylum. However, Trump has previously vowed to end CBP One, making the window of opportunity a race against time.

“We’re trying to arrive as soon as possible, before January, to see if we have a chance with CBP One,” Chávez explained, referring to the online portal that is currently part of the Biden administration’s immigration policy. They planned to head to Tapachula, a city in southern Mexico, where they would be able to access the app and complete the necessary steps for asylum processing.

Upon arrival in Bajo Chiquito, migrants like Chávez are able to purchase food, rent rooms, or set up tents in the village. The small community, which serves as a rest stop for those crossing the Darien, offers Wi-Fi access and medical care from NGOs assisting migrants in the area. The majority of those passing through are Venezuelan, though there are also migrants from other countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bangladesh, part of the growing wave of people fleeing hardship in their home countries.

As of this week, Panama has recorded nearly 289,000 migrant arrivals through the Darien Gap, a significant decrease of 38% compared to the same period last year. Of this year's arrivals, 69% are Venezuelan nationals, reflecting the ongoing crisis in Venezuela that continues to drive migration to other countries. Despite the challenges, for many migrants like Chávez, the hope of reaching the U.S. and securing a better life remains a powerful motivator to keep going through one of the most perilous migration routes in the world.

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