Closing the Darien Gap

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Since 2010, the number and country of origin of migrants passing through the Darien Gap have changed dramatically. According to Panama’s national migration service, in the first five months of 2024, 158,747 migrants crossed the dense, treacherous land bridge between South and Central America. Nearly 102,000 were Venezuelans. Thousands also came from Ecuador, Haiti and Colombia. These shifts reflect growing migratory pressures in countries of origin as well as the development of more sophisticated routes. But they heighten tensions between countries of origin and transit and receiving countries, which often lack resources to support large numbers of migrants.