The Darien Gap, a dense and remote rainforest that connects Colombia and Panama, has always historically protected its indigenous communities from outside influence. However, the arrival of migrants seeking to reach the USA has put this area at risk. The migration route, now taken by over half a million people each year, has become a dumping ground for trash which poses a serious threat to the communities living there.
The 97-kilometer trail through the jungle has become a route for many migrants, including Venezuelans, Haitians, Ecuadorians and people from Asia and Africa, all looking for better lives, but leaving piles of trash behind.
“It’s something that we did not expect, as the migration took off from one day to the next and suddenly we found ourselves flooded with trash. It’s worrying because we depend on our local ecosystem for everything. It’s our source of life,” explained Yenairo Aji, a community leader in Nueva Vigía, a village near the northern edge of the Darien Gap where about 1,400 Emberá people live.
Darien National Park is the largest protected area in Central America and the Caribbean. This huge region, containing forests, mangroves and sandy beaches, is home to an incredible variety of wildlife. Spanning 575,000 hectares, it hosts many species, including the brown-headed spider monkey, the Central American tapir and the giant anteater, all of which are considered to be vulnerable or endangered.
Apart from wildlife, around 8,000 people also inhabit this area and depend on nature. Local rivers, once vital for drinking and washing, are now polluted with garbage and human waste. Tania Chanapi, another community leader, noted that this contamination has led to illness, making it unsafe to use the water, commenting that:
“Gasoline leaking from the influx of boats and the human waste of the hundreds of thousands who make the journey have poisoned the rivers on which several communities depend. The bodies of those who did not survive are often found decaying in the waterways.”
While governments have made efforts to address the situation, a reliable solution has yet to emerge. The U.S. is pressurizing regional leaders to manage migration, but the proposed solutions remain unclear. Panama’s government has tried to regulate the influx of migrants but faces considerable obstacles. It is crucial to find a solution as the ongoing crisis not only endangers the local environment and impacts the lives of residents but also puts the lives of migrants at risk.
There have been reports of serious abuse along the way, including instances of sexual violence, with dozens, if not hundreds, having lost their lives or gone missing during the crossing.
“Most abuse appears to take place on the Panamanian side of the border. Perpetrators ambush migrants and asylum seekers at gunpoint, make people kneel or lie on the ground, and demand their money. Men often sexually assault women, often under the pretext of searching for hidden money, and in some cases rape them,” the international Human Rights Watch has reported.
The situation in the Darien Gap needs urgent action. The increasing number of migrants who are opting to take the dense jungle route is endangering local communities, the lives of those making the journey, and the ecosystem that supports both people and various species.
