U.S., Panama, Colombia Aim to Stop Migrants From Crossing the Dangerous Darien Gap
TimeNov 02, 2022
Report: Colombia, Panama Not Helping Migrants in Darien Gap
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Image copyright: Jan Sochor/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Human Rights Watch (HRW) claimed on Wednesday that Colombia and Panama have failed to protect hundreds of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers traveling northbound through the dangerous Darien Gap.
The rights group claimed in a 110-page report that 1.5K cases of sexual violence have been reported since 2021 along the key corridor for migrants, accusing both countries of not doing enough to hold perpetrators accountable.
The Spin
Left narrative
After several visits to the Darien Gap and interviews with migrants and government officials, HRW has revealed the extent of the horrors those on their way to a better life have to face in Darien Gap. No matter their reason for making this trek, it's the duty of Panama and Colombia to provide them with basic necessities like food, water, and healthcare. Allowing violent smugglers to bring migrants through the jungle is neither efficient nor moral.
Right narrative
All the humanitarian rhetoric coming from governments and NGOs is a facade to hide their true goal — encouraging as many illegal immigrants as possible to reach the US border. It seems that the US has sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Panama and Colombia not to help stop these waves of migrants — who are coming from as near as Haiti and as far as China — but to help those governments guide these illegal convoys more efficiently on their way to the US.
