Renewed Venezuelan Exodus Pushes Darien Gap Crossings Up 51%
- Nearly 20,000 Venezuelans crossed the Darien in September
- Fresh exodus risks roiling politics in the US before elections
Migrants crossing the Darien Gap in 2021. Since 2015, almost 8 million have fled Venezuela in what is considered the largest mass migration in the Americas.
Photographer: Nicolo Filippo Rosso/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The number of migrants coming through the Darien Gap increased by 51% in September as more Venezuelans crossed the treacherous jungle following Nicolas Maduro’s disputed reelection.
Repression in the wake of Venezuela’s July election has led to an increase in out-migration, according to a report by Refugees International published on Friday. Data show that 25,111 migrants crossed last month, with more than 80% of them from Venezuela, followed by Colombia, Ecuador and China.