Panama's Darien Gap Holds Perils for Northbound Migrants
Voice of America
CAPURGANA, COLOMBIA - Jean-Pierre has modest ambitions. "My hope for the future is to work, start a family and lead a very simple life," he said, standing on the patio of a Capurganá hotel restaurant.
The young Haitian man, who did not give his real name for publication, has already spent more than four years in this northwestern Colombia beach community close to Panama's border. "We are treated well here," he said. But he plans to leave someday for his dream destination in the United States. It's a dream shared by thousands who arrive in Capurganá. Once primarily a tourist destination with a population of 3,000, the town has swollen in recent years with migrants — mostly Haitians, like Jean-Pierre, as well as Cubans, South Americans, Africans, South Asians and others, all aiming for the U.S. or Canada. From Capurganá, northbound migrants must confront the nearby Darien Gap, a roadless 97-kilometer stretch of dense tropical forest that links South America and Central America. It requires a grueling one- to two-week trek through mountainous terrain. Those who embark on the journey risk hunger, exhaustion, injury and disease, poisonous snakes, and armed criminals.More Related News
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