The Darien Gap, Panama (September 26, 2024) – In a video report by the Center for Immigration Studies, Embera-Wounaan tribal chiefs voiced strong condemnation of U.S. border policies that are attracting a destructive wave of mass migration through their communities.
Todd Bensman, the Center’s National Security Fellow and author of the report, traveled from Colombia to the Darien Gap – a remote, roadless jungle on the Panama-Colombia border – where he conducted an exclusive interview with all five Embera chiefs. They unanimously agreed that mass migration through the Darien Gap, drawn by changes in U.S. policies in 2021, has caused significant harm to their traditional way of life.
In addition to the erosion of the tribal culture and the spread of drug and alcohol problems among the Embera people, the tribal leaders have reported severe environmental degradation. Open sewage and waste left by migrants have polluted the rivers, once the tribe’s clean water source. The chiefs expressed deep frustration with the UN and the other international organizations and NGOs that facilitate the mass illegal migration, accusing them of failing to consider the impact on their communities.
The tribe sees some hope in Panama’s newly elected President, Raul José Mulino, who has pledged to close the Darien Gap to mass illegal migration. However, skepticism remains, as the chiefs believe the main problem lies with U.S. leadership.
Chief Cunampia is one of the five indigenous leaders. and his message to the U.S. is clear: “Shut down the border.”
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