The governments of Panama and Costa Rica, represented by Minister of Security Frank Alexis Abrego and his counterpart Mario Zamora, respectively, are coordinating a bus route system as part of a 'Humanitarian and regulated' strategy. The goal of this initiative is to assist migrants who could not enter the United States due to the policies implemented by that country.
According to Minister Abrego, the operation began last Carnival Monday. Immigration authorities are picking up migrants at Peñas Blancas, on the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, to then transfer them to Catem at the border with Panama. Subsequently, they are taken to the migrant care center in Lajas Blancas, located in the Darién province, a border region with Colombia. Finally, migrants undertake a water crossing from the comarca of Guna Yala to La Miel, the last border town between Panama and Colombia.
At this moment, a special envoy designated by the President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, is negotiating with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, to authorize the arrival of commercial flights from Panama to the airport in Cúcuta, in the northeastern region of Colombia. This would allow Venezuelan immigrants to return to their country through the common border between these two South American countries.
'Collaboration between Panama and Costa Rica is crucial in this humanitarian and regulated effort, and we are committed to facilitating the safe return of migrants to their countries of origin,' emphasized Minister Abrego. In this way, both countries seek to jointly manage the complex current migration situation in the region.
