A record number of more than 520,000 migrants, among whom there were around 120,000 minors, crossed the inhospitable jungle of Darien in 2023, a natural combination of Colombia and Panama, on their way to the USA, the Panamanian government announced yesterday, Monday.

“The year 2023 ended with 520,085 migrants crossing the Darien jungle, among them 120,000 minors,” Panama’s Ministry of Public Security said on social media.

Migrants generally take three to six days to cross this 265-kilometer-long, 5,750,000-hectare jungle, where they face many dangers, especially gangs of thugs who run rampant.

In November, the non-governmental organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced that its members had provided care to more than 400 migrant women and men who had been raped, 97% women, including many young girls.

According to data from the Ministry of Security, Venezuelan citizens were by far the most (328,667), followed by nationals of Ecuador (57,222), Haiti (46,558) and China (25,344).

Nationals of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and African countries were also among the migrants of all ages, including babies a few weeks old, trying to reach United States soil in hopes of finding a better life.

In 2022, an estimated 248,000 migrants had passed through Darien, according to official Panamanian data.

In an effort to stem this migration wave, Panamanian authorities announced a series of measures in September, including increasing deportations of people entering the country illegally.

After crossing this jungle, migrants move through Panama to Costa Rica, then on to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico to reach the US border.