Sarrou-Beers y Frei-Stigger ganan la Absa Cape Epic 2021
The exponential rise in Darién Gap crossings
A number of factors caused the dramatic 2023 uptick in Darién Gap crossings. Changes in migration policies across the region have made it more difficult for those trying to reach the United States from South America to cross borders legally. Several countries imposed visa restrictions on Venezuelans and Haitians, even as countries such as Chile and Peru militarised their borders, pushing migrants to leave northward. In 2023, US President Joe Biden’s administration ended Title 42 – a pandemic-era border restriction – which motivated more people to head to the United States even though Biden soon adopted measures making it extremely difficult for them to seek asylum, and ramped up deportations. The lack of adequate integration policies has also been a driver. Among Haitians and Venezuelans in the Darién, many are migrating for the second time, from countries such as Brazil and Chile where they faced xenophobia, obstacles to regularise their status, and poor job opportunities. In April, Panamá, Colombia and the United States agreed on a tripartite plan to open up new regular migration routes to stem the flow, but so far no progress has been made.
From 2019 to 2022, most migrants crossing the Darién were Haitian and Cuban, but in the past two years Venezuelans have taken the lead, and the number of Ecuadorians seeking to escape from violence and poverty has also significantly increased. However, far from all the migrants crossing the Darién are Latin American, and the growing presence of migrants from other continents is garnering the attention of humanitarians, who must now cater their responses to those who don’t speak Spanish and are foreigners to the region. Chinese, Afghans, Indians, and nationals of different African countries have to confront language and cultural barriers, as well as the other dangers.
Los JJ.OO de Tokio podrían cancelarse en las próximas horas
The Darién Gap migration crisis in six graphs, and one map
A record 520,000 migrants crossed the treacherous jungle corridor connecting Colombia and Panamá – known as the Darién Gap – in 2023. Less than a decade ago, that figure was only a few thousand, but the number has been doubling annually in recent years, and a further surge is expected in 2024.
“2023 has broken all records. It has been a huge, terrible maelstrom,” Elías Cornejo, who runs Fe y Alegría, an NGO promoting education and social advancement for migrants in Panamá, told The New Humanitarian. “And we expect a new increase [in 2024].”
Services like Fe y Alegría – on both sides of the Colombia-Panama border – are becoming engulfed as the needs of vast numbers of vulnerable people traversing dangerous territory overwhelm local communities and aid groups trying to help.
The migrants take the 97-kilometre jungle trek – over steep and muddy terrain and along fast-flowing rivers – because it is the only overland route from South America into Central America. Once in Panamá, where government reception centres are overrun, most hope to head northwards through Mexico to the southern US border, but these journeys are also full of risks.
Read more: The challenges facing the humanitarian response
The few humanitarian agencies and organisations operating on the ground in and around the Darién Gap are struggling to meet the soaring needs of those crossing, not least because of the insecurity in the region.
Diana Romero, emergency specialist at UNICEF Panamá, told The New Humanitarian that coming up with the right emergency response hasn't been easy in a high-income country that was unprepared to deal with such needs. “Panama had not faced situations of disasters or crises, so they didn´t have the implementation partners needed,” she said. “In 2019, there were no local humanitarian teams, because there never was a demand for that. There were no specialists in WASH, gender, or nutrition.”
Entrevista con Ibon Zugasti y Oliver Avilés desde la Cape Epic: "Antes se veían MTB rígidas en el top 50 y ahora no encuentras ni una"
La pareja del Orbea Factory Team es una de las que más expectación levantan en la Cape Epic 2021. Desde el campamento de la carrera hemos tenido la oportunidad de hacerles algunas preguntas a Ibon Zugasti y Oliver Avilés y esto es lo que nos han contado sobre sus sensaciones en carrera, los recorridos de este año, cambios en su material y sus problemas mecánicos, entre otros.
¿Qué tal está yendo vuestra Cape Epic?
Oliver: Creo que hacemos muy buena pareja, nos compenetramos muy bien. En las subidas y llanos nos vamos ayudando el uno al otro y en las bajadas yo le voy dando rueda.
Ibon: Mejor de lo esperado. Empezamos muy cruzados con averías y muchos problemas, pero a falta de dos días ya hubiera firmado yo estar en esta posición antes de venir. Yo decía que haciendo una buena Cape Epic estaríamos entre el 20-25 y haciendo una muy buena en el 15-20. Estar más arriba de eso es imposible. Cuando vamos bien bien rozamos el 15, pero es que hay super nivel. Estoy muy contento.
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