New Panama president vows to halt migration

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino sworn in

"I won't allow Panama to be an open path for thousands of people who enter our country illegally"

(Image credit: Daniel Audilio Gonzalez / Anadolu via Getty Images)

published 2 July 2024

What happened

José Raúl Mulino was sworn in as Panama's president on Monday and immediately pledged to halt northward migration through the Darien Gap connecting Panama to Colombia. A record 520,000 migrants took the dangerous jungle route toward the U.S. in 2023 and another 190,000 have already followed this year. Most of the migrants are from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and China.

"I won't allow Panama to be an open path for thousands of people who enter our country illegally, supported by an international organization related to drug trafficking and human trafficking," Mulino said. "I understand that there are deep-rooted reasons for migration, but each country has to resolve its problems."

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas attended Mulino's inauguration and signed a memorandum of understanding committing the U.S. to "cover" the costs of repatriating migrants caught trying to cross through the Darien.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.