Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, calling the influx of U.S.-bound migrants passing through his country an “immense global problem” that requires international cooperation to solve.
Mulino, who took office in July, devoted a significant portion of his speech to the Darién Gap, a treacherous jungle trail that connects South and Central America and has been used by hundreds of thousands of migrants in recent years to reach the United States. He emphasized that the Darién Gap has effectively become the “new United States border” and that his country is facing a significant challenge in managing the flow of migrants.
The Panamanian president estimated that over 500,000 migrants have passed through the Darién Gap in 2023, with many more expected to follow. He attributed the migrant flow to “criminal organizations” based in neighboring countries that profit from human and drug trafficking. Mulino stressed that Panama is not equipped to handle the social, financial, and environmental costs of the migrant crisis on its own and urged the international community to provide support.
Mulino, who has personally witnessed the devastating impact of the migrant crisis during his tenure as security minister, described the situation as “distressing” from a humanitarian perspective, “costly” in financial terms, and “alarming” due to the environmental devastation caused by the migrants. He appealed to the international community to recognize the magnitude of the problem and provide the necessary support to address it.
The Panamanian president also highlighted the link between political instability and mass migration, citing Venezuela as a prime example. He noted that nearly eight million Venezuelans have fled their country, a number he described as a “real migratory tragedy” that has not received a sufficient response from international organizations.
Mulino called on international organizations to take a stronger stance against “manifestly anti-democratic attitudes and behavior” in Venezuela, particularly in light of the country’s recent sham presidential election. He emphasized that it is difficult to discuss sustainable regional development while Venezuela is facing a severe migrant crisis.
