What Happens There? In addition to the challenging environment, criminal groups and bandits operate in this secluded jungle, exploiting migrants. Many people traveling through the Darién Gap have been robbed or sexually assaulted. Dozens of people, if not hundreds, have lost their lives or gone missing trying to cross. Many have never been found. Human Rights Watch has visited the Darién Gap four times between April 2022 and June 2023 and interviewed almost 300 people. In addition to uncovering stories of people injured, killed, or missing, we also found that Panama and Colombia are failing to assist the hundreds of thousands of people crossing the Gap or to investigate crimes committed there. Authorities also restrict access to the area from humanitarian workers, leaving people in the crossing stranded and even more at risk. What Needs to Happen Colombian and Panamanian authorities should prevent exploitation by criminal groups and bandits, conduct criminal investigations, and ensure access to food, water, and basic healthcare services. Foreign governments should create safe and legal migration pathways for people fleeing human rights crises in Latin America, so they are not forced to risk their lives in the jungle. Read More | 
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