The eight Venezuelans threw stones and blocks at the police units, threatening them with death alleging that they belonged to a criminal gang in Venezuela, assured the Public Ministry of Panama
A court in Panama ordered the provisional detention of eight migrant Venezuelan citizens in transit who attacked a security force agent and caused damage to a migratory reception station (ERM) in the Panamanian province of Darién, reported this Saturday, June 11 the prosecution.
The event took place on June 6 at the San Vicente immigration reception station when the eight migrants “caused damage to State property and also injured” an agent of the National Border Service (Senafront), specified a statement from the Public Ministry (MP, Prosecutor’s Office).
The group of Venezuelan migrants became violent “because they wanted to continue on their way, but they had to comply with the migration verification process, in addition to paying for transportation,” according to official information.
“The eight defendants also threw stones and blocks at the police units, threatening them with death, alleging that they belonged to a criminal gang in Venezuela,” assured the Public Ministry of Panama.
The Darien Regional Prosecutor’s Office obtained the precautionary measure of provisional detention for the eight migrants, who were imputed for the crime against the economic patrimony, in the modality of aggravated damages, and against freedom and personal integrity, in the modality of personal injuries.
Panama is an obligatory step for tens of thousands of irregular migrants who travel to North America from all over the world, in the midst of a crisis that has worsened over time.
Although in 2021 more than 70% of the more than 133,000 migrants who arrived in Panama after crossing the dangerous Darién jungle — the natural border with Colombia — were Haitians, this 2022 the vast majority are Venezuelans.
According to figures from the National Migration Service (SNM) of Panama, in the first five months of this year, 32,797 migrants in transit have entered the Darién, of which 16,720 are Venezuelans, 9,844 in May alone.
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