Angel Valdes | May 13, 2023
The Minister of Public Security, Juan Manuel Pino, pointed out during a tour in the border communities of Darién, that Panama is preparing for any effect that is generated, after new immigration policies issued by the United States.
“With the change of title 42 and 8 we must prepare for any effect that the change issued by the United States has. Panama will continue doing things as it has been doing and respecting the rights of migrants”, added Minister Pino.
The head of Public Security indicated that they are evaluating Panama’s capacities to continue receiving migrants, which to date have exceeded 148,000 people who have crossed the Darién Gap, the majority of whom are Venezuelan nationals (70,577), Haitians ( 27,888) and Ecuadorians (18,635).
“We were at one of the migrant arrival points for 30 minutes and of the 100 migrants who arrived, 50 were underage babies. We talk to the parents of these children so that they do not put their lives at risk,” added the minister.
During the air tour, pilots from the National Aeronaval Service, on the instructions of Minister Juan Pino, carried out the evacuation of a Venezuelan woman with her two minor daughters, one of them disabled and with burns on her face and both hands, to then be attended by medical personnel of the National Border Service.