Come January of 2025, there may be a new government in Washington D.C. that could work together with President Jose Raul Mulino
The Darien Gap, a jungle in Panama, is a major link along the invasion route that leads from South America into Central America, and eventually to the U.S.
It’s estimated that half a million migrants, including 113,000 children, passed through it in 2023. These people came from South America, the Caribbean, and even Africa and Asia.
The Darien Gap is a dangerous place, filled with rivers, cliffs, animals, and criminal gangs.
Closing down the Gap could significantly reduce the amount of people coming to the U.S.
Believe it or not, the newly-elected president of Panama pledged to do exactly that during his campaign.
Usually, Latin American leaders tacitly encourage mass migration as it gets people out of their country. President Jose Raul Mulino may be different.
On May the 5, Cinco de Mayo in Spanish, Panama held its presidential election.
It was a real doozy, with six candidates contending. Mulino was the standard-bearer of the right-wing Realizando Metas (Accomplishing Goals)party.
Mulino wasn’t even the party’s candidate until February, when the previous candidate, former president Ricardo Martinelli, had to drop out due to a money laundering conviction.
Mulino went on to win the election on Cinco de Mayo and is scheduled to take office on July 1.