Panama’s New President Vows to Shut Down Darién Gap Migration Route

In a surprise victory with potential implications for the Biden administration, José Mulino was elected president of Panama May 5 on a platform that included closing the Darién Gap to migrants on their way to the U.S. southern border.
Mr. Mulino won nearly 35 percent of the votes in a four-way race with more than 92 percent of the votes counted, giving him a nine-point lead over his nearest competitor.
He takes office July 1 for a five-year term.
During a May 6 interview with a Colombian radio program, the populist president-elect reiterated his vow to repatriate migrants coming into Panama while shutting down what has become a major route for illegal migration.
“When repatriation begins here, those who try to arrive will think twice because they will not have an easy destination because they will be transferred to their countries of origin,” Mr. Mulino said.
“At no point do I say that this will be an easy action, but it will be a firm decision, with the purpose of making it known that we are not sponsoring that [migration] here and that we are going to put a stop to it.”
Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, believes Mr. Mulino’s promise to shut down the Darién Gap could become embarrassing for President Joe Biden, who rescinded Trump-era policies meant to curtail illegal immigration in favor of open borders.
“The thing to watch here, I think, is how the administration manages to oppose something good for America and that most Americans would love to see happen,” Mr. Bensman told The Epoch Times.
But the massive infrastructure built by the NGOs in Panama, along with the billions of U.S. tax dollars given to these organizations, could prove it difficult to stop, Mr. Bensman said.
“You have NGOs that have become fat with riches on this crisis,” he said. “Those NGOs have become politically influential in Panama because this is just great for [their] business.”
The Epoch Times knocked on multiple U.N. agency doors at the City of Knowledge complex while in Panama in an unsuccessful attempt to interview officials with the U.N. and HIAS concerning their operation in the camps.
Spanish media outlets reported that Mr. Mulino joked on the campaign trail about getting help with some “cement” for a wall in the Darién Gap should former President Donald Trump return to the White House.
The Trump campaign declined to comment, citing the need to first see a full transcript of Mr. Mulino’s comments.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/how-panamas-new-president-could-disrupt-mass-migration-to-us-5646999?src_src=Morningbrief&src_cmp=mb-2024-05-10&est=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAce0nfAcFysDEzLUHsmBYGbdy0g0NKCRZnQLE%2BrGs7qd%2FAFbpCr6Y