Panama’s presidential frontrunner vows to ‘close’ Darién Gap

The journey across the Darien Gap is long and difficult, as seen here on 9 May 2023. Photograph: Iván Valencia/AP

Panama’s presidential frontrunner has vowed to “close” the Darién Gap, the swampy jungle straddling the border with Colombia that has become an unavoidable ordeal for many US-bound migrants – but experts criticised the idea as unworkable and potentially dangerous.

Presided over by criminal groups and corrupt officials, the Darién Gap is one of the world’s most dangerous and fast-growing border crossings.