John Orozco, a 49-year-old Venezuelan, spoke with the EFE agency about his journey back to Venezuela after spending six months in Mexico. This man, divorced and with children both in Venezuela and the US, entered Panama a couple of weeks ago through Paso Canoas, the border with Costa Rica.
In a rustic house in the middle of the jungle, owned by an indigenous person, Orozco shared his experience. He reported that it was complicated in Panama, as they did not allow him to advance, unlike Mexico and Central America. He spent six months in Mexico trying to obtain a migration appointment through an application that had been enabled by the administration of Joe Biden but was canceled by Trump's administration.
In Mexico, he managed to work and save money to afford the trip back. His plan is to return to Venezuela and then wait a while to go back to Chile, where he had worked as a nanny and had good employers with whom he still keeps in touch.
The flow of migrants through Darién heading north dropped drastically last January, according to Panamanian authorities, amid increased security measures and changes in migration policy. However, in recent weeks, groups of migrants have attempted to enter Panama from Costa Rica in a reverse flow.
In this context, a vessel sank in the Panamanian Caribbean with 19 migrants from Venezuela and Colombia, of which 20 were rescued alive, while an 8-year-old Venezuelan girl died. Several migrants, including Venezuelans, have decided to abandon the American dream and cross Panama southward in search of new opportunities.
Karla Castillo, a 36-year-old Venezuelan and single mother of four children, shared her experience of regret for having left Chile towards the US. After passing through Venezuela on her way north, she decided to return and is now looking to restart in Chile after describing her migration experience as terrible.
