US Southern Command chief discusses Venezuela with Panamanian president

The head of the United States Southern Command, General Laura Richardsonspoke this Tuesday with the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, about the situation in Venezuela after the questioned re-election of the president Nicolas Maduro.

“President Mulino and head of the Southern Command analyze the crisis in Venezuela, migration and security,” the Panamanian government said in a statement.

“Since 66% of the migrants passing through the Darien jungle are of Venezuelan nationality, President Mulino considered that the current situation in Venezuela will aggravate the migration crisis in the hemisphere,” he added.

For its part, the US embassy said that General Richardson met with Mulino “to discuss bilateral security cooperation and strategies to contain unprecedented irregular migration across the border.” Darien jungle”, natural border between Colombia and Panama.

“General Richardson and the ambassador [estadounidense Mari Carmen] Aponte expressed concern about the democratic and security instability in the countries of the hemisphere,” according to the Panamanian government.

During her two-day visit to Panama, the military chief also met with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha and Security Minister Frank Ábrego.

So far in 2024, at least 212,000 people have crossed the Darien jungle, the natural border between Colombia and Panama, with the intention of going to the United States, according to the Panamanian immigration office. In 2023, More than half a million people crossed through that inhospitable jungletwo thirds of them Venezuelan.

Mulino announced Tuesday that he plans to call a summit of the 17 countries, including the United States, that voted on Thursday in favor of a failed draft resolution in the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), which demanded that Maduro publish the minutes of the elections.