What's Quixote Center doing in Panama? 

"In 2023, migrant crossings through Panama reached a historic high, as half a million people traversed the deadly Darién gap, and one in five of them was a child. Most migrants were from Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti, or China. Many do not survive the journey through the Darién rainforest, which is the only way to cross the Panama-Colombia border by land...

"Last March, we visited the Darién crossing and followed the migratory route to the northern border of Costa Rica along with our partners. We began partnering more closely with the Franciscan Network for Migrants' Panama team, who have been working around the clock to address the emerging humanitarian crisis.

"Thanks in large part to the support of our donors, the Panama team has been able to transition from running a temporary shelter for victims of a tragic bus accident, to opening a permanent shelter for vulnerable migrants. To our knowledge, our partner shelter in Panama is the only non-profit-run migrant shelter in the country, with the alternative being military-operated, overcrowded refugee camps."

Actions & More

Come With us to Panama!

We're excited to share that the Quixote Center is launching a new solidarity trip to Panama in March 11-18, 2024.  

Participants will witness conditions along the migratory path as we meet with human rights defenders and asylum seekers. We will visit the Panamanian government's migrant run "reception centers" in the Darién jungle, as well as our partner migrant shelter that serves medically vulnerable people. The deadline to apply to join is February 1st.

You can click HERE for the informational flyer to learn more about the trip, and HERE to apply to join the group.  

Asylum is Under Attack - Again

The White House is currently trying to destroy asylum in exchange for sending billions to Ukraine, Israel, and ICE & CBP. This proposal is extreme, and would risk the lives of migrants and their families fleeing danger. This would be especially disastrous for Haitian asylum seekers. Tell your members of Congress that our government should fund solutions that uphold the humanity and dignity of migrants and protect asylum.

Artist Corner

Yali Roldán

Yali Roldán is a Panamanian artist and fashion designer of indigenous Guna descent. Roldán draws inspiration from Guna molas, colorful hand-embroidered cloths that often potray scenes from Panama's rainforest, geometric patterns, or even indigenous narratives.  You can see more of her work HERE.