The Darién Gap: A “tropical hell” Haitian migrants must survive to reach US border crossings

JIMMIE JOHNSON: IT IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES ON EARTH. AN INFAMOUS 66-MILE STRETCH OF RIVERS, FORESTS, AND MOUNTAINS BETWEEN PANAMA AND COLUMBIA, THAT HAS BECOME A GRAVEYARD FOR DOZENS OF HAITIAN MIGRANTS. LET ME EXPLAIN. 

THIS IS THE DARIEN GAP. THE MOST PERILOUS PART OF THE PATH MIGRANTS MUST CROSS ON THEIR JOURNEY FROM SOUTH AMERICA TO THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

PROFESSOR MICHAEL RYAN: ”There’s hardly any trails through there. I mean, you’re walking on either long streams or long rivers, or, you know, on small animal trails, animal tracks through the forest.”

PROFESSOR MIKE RYAN HAS TAKEN TWO TRIPS TO THE REGION WITH GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. 

HE WAS CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON AN UNRELATED TOPIC, THE TUNGARA FROG. 

MICHAEL: ”Entire populations were just disappearing. In the wink of an eye.”>>

JIMMIE: HE WITNESSED FIRST-HAND THE BEAUTY AND BEAST OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS JUNGLES. 

MICHAEL: “If you’re there with, you know, with food, and with hammocks to sleep in, and there’s park rangers there, it does feel like a tropical heaven. But to be able to try to navigate through that entire forest, whether you had assistance or not, then it becomes a real tropical hell.”

JIMMIE: IN 2021, AUTHORITIES IN PANAMA SAY MORE THAN 90-THOUSANDS MIGRANTS, MOSTLY HAITIANS, HAVE EMBARKED ON THIS TRIP. 

MIGRANT ADULTS AND CHILDREN ARE BROUGHT BY SMUGGLERS ON BOATS, DROPPED OFF, AND LEFT TO FIND THEIR WAY THROUGH THE TREACHEROUS TERRAIN.

ON AVERAGE, AN ESTIMATED 20-TO-30 PEOPLE A YEAR DIE TAKING THIS TREK.

BUT SO FAR THIS YEAR, MORE THAN FIFTY BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED. 

SADLY, THE DEATH TOLL IS EXPECTED TO RISE BECAUSE OF AN UPTICK IN MIGRANT CROSSINGS.

AS A RESULT, PANAMANIAN COMMUNITIES ARE LEFT TO RECOVER AND BURY BODIES. 

BUT THAT DOESN’T DETER MIGRANTS, DESPERATE TO REACH AMERICA. 

MICHAEL: “You know, to have that kind of motivation to change your life. To brave this. What this really impenetrable forest is just amazing.”