PANAMA CITY
\nTen migrants drowned trying to cross a rushing river in Panama\u2019s Darien Gap that borders Colombia, Panamanian authorities said Wednesday.
\nThe National Border Service said in a statement that the victims were swept away by the strong current and their bodies were later seen near the Indigenous community of Carreto.
\nAn agency official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case said on condition of anonymity that the drownings were believed to have occurred on July 16, but the area was so remote that they were only now able to release the information.
\nThe prosecutor\u2019s office was investigating details, including the victims\u2019 nationalities, the official said. More than half of the migrants crossing the Darien come from Venezuela.
\nMore than 500,000 migrants made the treacherous crossing through the jungle-clad border in a record-setting 2023. So far this year, more than 212,000 have entered Panama through the Darien.
\nIt is the rainy season in Panama, making the numerous rivers that migrants have to cross more dangerous.
\nNew Panamanian President Jos\u00e9 Ra\u00fal Mulino has pledged to stop migration through the Darien with assistance from the US government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PANAMA CITY Ten migrants drowned trying to cross a rushing river in Panama\u2019s Darien Gap that borders Colombia, Panamanian authorities said Wednesday. The National Border Service said in a statement that the victims were swept away by the strong current and their bodies were later seen near the Indigenous community of Carreto. An agency official […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":420419,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-420434","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n