From January to May 2023, more than 166,000 migrants crossed the Darien Gap, the dense jungle that separates Colombia from Panama. The people who embark on this journey do so with one goal in mind: trying to reach the United States, their final migration destination. But not everyone goes to the Darien jungle for the same reason, a German company is marketing tours through the dangerous jungle so that Europeans can go and have a “survival” experience.
After the “most difficult” five days of his life, he finally made it: Wilmer, a 26-year-old Venezuelan farmer, arrived in the Panamanian town of Bajo Chiquito at the end of March. His greatest feat was getting out alive from the Darien Gap, one of the most dangerous migratory passages in the world.
“The trip was extremely difficult; I could barely sleep. Look at me, I’m in good physical shape and still my life was in danger. Imagine what it is for pregnant women or minors. I do not recommend crossing it on foot.” told Wilmer to the United Nations after the crossing.
Intense rains, crossing rivers with impossible currents, hiking in shoulder-deep mud or being bitten by insects and other wild animals. It was what Wilmer and all the migrants who cross that jungle were exposed to. The reason why they are exposed to such danger is shared by many: the desire for a better future, known as the “American dream”, with the United States as their final destination. The only hope for many low-income people who are going through extreme situations in their countries of origin.
Just two months earlier, in January 2023, a German journalist started a journey similar to Wilmer’s. But, far from the need that drives thousands of people, Katja Döhne did it as an “adventure”. Or at least that is how the German company that sells these tours sells it, Wandermut –translated as “walking courage” in Spanish–.
“Get ready for the adventure of your life”, is one of the slogans that can be read on the official Wandermut page.
Döhne and his group of tourists also had difficulties during their journey through the Darién, although they had security guarantees, the crucial difference with respect to migrants.
Wandermut and the Darién for the privileged
To undertake the trip to Darién, the more than 3,600 euros that the tour costs plus flights to Panama are necessary. In return, Wandermut promises you to “achieve something that no one else has done” through the Darien jungle: 12 days of travel in a group of a maximum of 13 people and with supposedly local guides.
“Each trip is led by an experienced expedition leader, several local guides and a team leader specially trained by us. In an emergency, we not only have medicines, but also satellite phones and SOS devices,” the German company’s management told France 24.
If one of the tourists has a serious accident, their health insurance even includes a helicopter to pick them up.
A reality parallel to that faced by migrants. According to the United Nations, people who enter the jungle are exposed to multiple forms of violence, such as sexual assault, robbery and human trafficking. The situation is especially critical in the case of women and minors.
“Our organization is witness to the suffering of migrants as they pass through the difficult jungle of the Darién. They are exposed to geographical dangers, diseases and different types of violence. It is extreme suffering in a short period of time. And any initiative that trivializes this suffering should be avoided, Darién is an area of humanitarian crisis, not a place to go on vacation,” Luis Eguiluz, head of the Doctors Without Borders mission in Colombia and Panama, told France 24.
So far this year alone, more than 166,000 migrants have crossed the Darien Gap, five times more than during the same period in 2022, according to figures from the Government of Panama.
From Wandermut they assure that their tourist tour through the Darién National Park, which covers almost 5,800 square kilometers, is far from the migratory routes.
“We do not offer hiking tours along the routes of migrants. The Darien is a very extensive region. We operate in the Pacific, southwest of the Darién, far from the border, while the migratory routes run far north, in the Caribbean (…) We don’t go on vacation where people suffer”, say Tom Schinker and Martin Druschel, co-founders of Wandermut.
We operate in the Pacific (…) We don’t go on vacation where people suffer.
A statement that the data contradicts. Despite being in another area of the natural park, the daily migratory flow leaves no room for doubt: the Darién is the scene of one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world today.
The German venture also maintains that their trips are focused on “experiencing nature” and “immersing themselves” in the culture of the Embera indigenous people, with whom they collaborate during the routes. However, when entering their website, the main attraction they sell is “survival”.
“We are looking for true adventurers, because anyone who is afraid of getting wet or who just wants to walk relaxed through the jungle is out of place here,” the German company details on its website.
In fact, some of the influencers with whom the “startup of adventures” —as they call themselves— come from survival contests such as ‘7 vs. Wild’, a program in which participants must survive for seven days in the wild. Joris Rudy, former contestant on ‘7 vs. Wild ‘, he participated in the last expedition of the Wandermut in the Darién to promote it on social networks.
Many migrants do not pass this “survival” test. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), so far this year at least 19 people have disappeared on the route, a number that has risen to 258 since 2018. They cannot call a helicopter to pick them up.
“Darién is far from being a place for adventure, it is a place of suffering. Migrants cannot buy the right clothes to make the route, much less hire health insurance or security equipment. We believe that we must focus on the suffering of these people, on the need to decriminalize migration and on ensuring that they have access to basic services. All of this is ahead of any tourist route”, says Eguiluz.
The Darién is far from being a place for adventure, it is a place of suffering.
“I thought at various times that my heart was not strong enough to resist that path. It is something that I do not wish on anyone, not even on my worst enemy”, Carlos, a 62-year-old diabetic, told MSF after confessing that he had only ingested water and biscuits for two days.
This western and upper-middle-class tourism can also hurt the sensibilities of migrants. While some do it for fun, others see it as the only option to survive. People from all over the world have lost their loved ones in that jungle and have not been able to recover their remains.
“I’ve been robbed. In my group a woman was killed for resisting rape. I couldn’t do anything to help her.” Antonio, 56, told the United Nations. His testimony about the atrocities on the road is one among many.
Organizations such as Doctors Without Borders have reiterated their concern in recent months. They assure that it is the responsibility of the Colombian and Panamanian authorities to “guarantee safe and decent routes” for migrants.
And it is that most of their basic needs are not covered even when they arrive at the ETRM –Temporary Immigration Reception Stations–, they do not have security, decent spaces, access to adequate food or minimum hygienic conditions. They do not even have access to justice after being subjected to rape and other types of violence.
“The medical situation has changed in recent months with the rise and fall of migrants, but the conditions remain the same. There is a lack of care for diseases, traumatic situations and all kinds of violence,” accuses Eguiluz.
Wandermut assured France 24 that the company is aware of the seriousness of the migration issue on the border between Colombia and Panama.
“The suffering of migrants, who risk their lives in the jungle while fleeing, affects us deeply,” say Schinker and Druschel, co-founders and directors of the company.
However, in no section of their website, not even in the ‘History of the region’ section, do they make any allusion to migrants.
Although they do contribute to the local Panamanian economy by collaborating with guides from the region and with the Embera Indians, they describe the Darién as “the most infamous jungle in the world.” A definition that clashes head-on with the Embera indigenous worldview of the jungle, which they consider to be “Mother Earth, thought and everything that surrounds us.”
Schinker and Druschel also maintain that they contribute to low-impact tourism and that they have the support of the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP). The entity has tried to promote sustainable tourism and the preservation of fauna and flora in the Darién, which, after all, is a natural park.
It is true that the passage of 2,000 people daily -according to official figures- promotes the degradation of ecosystems. Eco-tourism can be controlled, but irregular migration cannot. One is a leisure option and the other is a necessity.
