Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Staff and agencies in Panama City

Record half million people crossed the treacherous Darién Gap in 2023

a woman wades through waist-high water while carrying a child on her shoulder next to another woman carrying a bag on her head
Haitian migrants wade through water as they cross the Darién Gap from Colombia to Panama in hopes of reaching the US on 9 May 2023. Photograph: Iván Valencia/AP

A record 520,000 people crossed the treacherous jungle between Colombia and Panama known as the Darién Gap in 2023, more than double the number reported the year before, according to new figures from the government of Panama.

The people who made the journey that marks the start of the dangerous trek north from South America to the United States last year were mostly from Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti and China, according to the numbers from Panama’s migration agency.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.