Hell in the Darien: "Do not commit this madness"

Those who have survived the long journey testify to abominable events that have marked them forever. The territory of the Darien jungle, between Colombia and Panama, is a harsh, unpleasant and difficult to erase memory for the migrants who choose this route in an attempt to reach their dream destination: the United States.

Individuals from different continents and nationalities, among them Cubans, Haitians and above all Venezuelans - trying to escape the barbarism that has settled in the country that was once the cradle of freedom - venture to cross the most dangerous territory of the continent today to try to reach a land where they can find opportunities.

Those who have made the journey report horrifying realities: they have seen human corpses along the way, they have suffered extortion, aggression and humiliation. Many of these people have been sexually abused in front of their families by several individuals, in front of crowds of people.

A few days ago, the media shared a video in which a Venezuelan father, Edwel Chirinos, told how he had just lost his daughter and wife, who drowned in a river trying to leave the Darien. They both started their journey from Colombia and wanted to reach the United States to be reunited with him, but the fatal outcome prevented them from doing so. This is one of the thousands of stories that put a face to the injustice that prevails in the countries from which migrants flee.

Many of the survivors who managed to complete the journey regret having made that cursed trip that changed their lives and ask those who are thinking of embarking on the dangerous journey to desist and to please "not commit such madness".

The reality speaks for itself and the urgency to change things is imperative in a region that is sinking before our eyes.

The drama suffered by those who cross the Darien is widely known by the authorities. However, lawlessness, crime and irregular migratory flows, far from diminishing, have increased.

After crossing the Darien, the journey has only just begun: the migrants still have Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico ahead of them before attempting to reach the United States. They move along irregular routes, in an experience that for many has been a real hell.

Today another day is moving forward; the sun out there toasts the skin of thousands of illegal travelers who have in common the yearning to reach the American dream. As I write these lines, another new group of women, men, and children are struggling with the Darien jungle route. Many of the survivors who managed to complete the journey regret having made that cursed trip that changed their lives and ask those who are thinking of embarking on the dangerous journey to desist and to please "not commit such madness".