CONTEXT

The area known as the Darien Gap is a dangerous stretch of rainforest along the southern border of Panama. This region of dense tropical jungle between Panama and Colombia is home to numerous natural hazards, including venomous snakes, jaguars, mosquitoes carrying deadly diseases, and treacherous swamps and rivers. Dangerous armed groups control the area and take advantage of desperate migrants trying to cross the gap and continue north. There are no roads or infrastructure connecting the “gap” between North and South America. Unfortunately, even with all of the life-threatening obstacles, people continue to travel through the Darien gap on foot in hopes of a better life.

Migrants still face a long journey through Panama and onto their next destinations once they have crossed the Darien Gap. To control the migration flow in the country, the Panamanian government has established Migratory Receiving Stations (MRS) across both borders. The government, the Catholic Church, and several international agencies use these stations to provide immediate support to migrants.

Two international Jesuit networks overlap in Panama in a shared effort to respond to this migratory injustice: The International Federation of Fe y Alegría and the Jesuit Network with Migrants of Latin Americas and the Caribbean (RJM-LAC). The shared efforts of these two networks provide resources for direct action and support for migrants moving through the region but also connects these efforts with global initiatives that collect information on migrant flows and human rights issues. Fe y Alegría Panama’s four-person team is based in Panama City. They provide programs and assistance in the capital city, as well as in the MRS stations located in San Vicente and Lajas Blancas in Meteti (Darien Province) and in Los Planes and Paso Canoas in Gualaca, (Chiriqui Province).

What are Fe y Alegría and the Jesuits doing to accompany migrants in the darien gap?​​

Four staff members make up the Fe y Alegría Panama migrant team. The team is led by Fr. Marco Tulio Gómez, SJ, who serves as the national director. Working with Fr. Gómez is a Service to Migrants Coordinator, a Legal Assistance Coordinator, and a Social Psychologist. They travel from Panama City to the border areas in Darien and Chiriquí.

These trips can range from anywhere to 300 to 650 miles round trip. The team needs reliable vehicles to travel from Panama City to the border regions to carry out this work.

OUR PROJECT

Simply put, Fe y Alegría Panama was in desperate need of a new capable vehicle. They need reliable transportation to the Migratory Receiving Stations in the Darien gap and the Chiriqui Province to the north.  There the team provides humanitarian aid, psychosocial assistance, and training on human and migration rights. 

The purchase of this vehicle is part of a larger project with funds raised through RJM-LAC to support the migrant population who are in transit or are asylum seekers in Panama. This larger project began in February 2022 and continues in 2023.

Project Details​

Originally, Fe y Alegría Panama had two vehicles. Recently one of them, a 2005 Nissan Frontier, was damaged beyond repair. The loss of this vehicle is limiting transportation of the project team to the border provinces.  Fe y Alegría Panama identified a used 2020 Toyota Hilux with low mileage to replace the 2005 Nissan Frontier. 

Team from Fe y Alegría Panama crosses a wooden bridge in the Darien Gap with their new vehicle.

“We know that God works with the poor and walks with the migrants as well. We are certain that migrants are a theological place as well. God finds ways to help them, to keep their hope alive.”

Fr. Marco Tulio Gomez, S.J.   General Director of Fe y Alegría Panamá