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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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.