US donates aircraft to Panama to fight drug trafficking

The head of the United States Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, delivered an aircraft valued at 12 million dollars to Panama on Monday to support the fight against drug trafficking, illegal fishing and search and rescue missions in the Central American country. .

Richardson is leading a delegation from his country that is participating in a high-level security dialogue with Panamanian officials. On Tuesday, the commander will visit the jungle province of Dariénbordering Colombia, where some bases used to combat drug trafficking operate.

Through the Darién it has been recorded for more than a decade an irregular migratory flow to the United Stateswhich in the last year is dominated by Venezuelans.

The director of the National Migration Service of Panama, Samira Gozaine, told local media on Monday that so far in 2022 About 190,000 migrants have crossed the Darién, mostly Venezuelans. The official said that only on Sunday some 4,000 foreigners arrived from Colombia, mainly from that South American country.

The United States announced last week that will accept up to 24,000 Venezuelans -for which they must previously register in a program, have a sponsor in the country and arrive by air- although, on the contrary, will return to the Venezuelans who cross the border illegally from Mexico, as well as those who illegally enter Mexican or Panamanian soil.

Panama, which receives the migrants after security checks, provides them with food, accommodation and coordinates the transit so that they continue on buses to Costa Rica, is crying out for international financial aid to be able to continue attending to this irregular flow.

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