A massive bridge said to be big enough for a column of tanks to cross will rise in Panama, at one of the most dangerous migrant crossing points in the world.
The structure is reportedly being built in Yaviza, situated on the Chuconaco River, the dividing point between Central and South America and one of the southernmost points reachable by road from North America.
Until now, the Pan-American Highway, which runs through Central America to South America, ends in Yaviza, which sits on the edge of the 100-mile Darien Gap, a dense, lawless jungle between Panama and Colombia.
Millions of migrants brave the Darien Gap each year, but are forced to make the journey mostly on foot, facing dangerous river crossings, wild animals and even violent criminal gangs who extort, kidnap and abuse them.
According to a report from the US-based Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), that could be about to change with the construction of the new bridge over the Chuconaco River that could extend the highway further south.
A massive bridge said to be big enough for a column of tanks to cross will rise in Panama, at one of the most dangerous migrant crossing points in the world. Pictured: A video showing the early stages of the bridge’s construction is seen on CBN footage.
The bridge is reportedly being built in Yaviza, which is located on the Chuconaco River, the dividing point between Central and South America and one of the southernmost points reachable by road from North America.
This would undoubtedly make the crossing safer for the millions of migrants traveling from South America with the ultimate goal of reaching the United States.
However, news of the bridge’s construction has raised a perplexing question: Who is funding the bridge’s construction, and what do they stand to gain?
According to Michael Yon, an American writer and photographer, a possible benefactor is China.
According to figures published in February of this year, more than seven million migrants have crossed the southern border of the United States under the Joe Biden administration.
The total also does not include approximately 1.8 million known “leaks” who managed to evade law enforcement.
The issue of migration has long been a divisive issue in the United States, and a divided United States is of great benefit to powers Beijing, with China being the United States’ main economic rival and a key rival global superpower.
It is easy to see, therefore, why China might have an interest in helping the passage of migrants from South America to the southern border of the United States.
However, another reason could be the Chinese immigrants themselves.
Chuck Holton told CBN that from the size of the construction project (pictured), “it appears that the developers may have other plans in the future” to continue the road beyond the bridge.
Although most immigrants making the dangerous journey north from South America tend to be from countries like Haiti and Venezuela hoping for a new life in the United States, the number of Chinese immigrants has skyrocketed in recent years.
Figures show that Panama authorities counted 15,000 Chinese immigrants in 2023, almost eight times more than in the same period in 2022, and more than 40 times the number seen in 2021, according to the Daily Star.
What’s more, between January and September 2023, US border officials detained more than 22,000 Chinese citizens trying to enter from Mexico.
With its Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese government is also known to fund infrastructure projects around the world.
Panama is among the 150 member countries of the initiative, while Colombia is understood to be considering joining the Belt and Road.
In a podcast hosted by American screenwriter and television producer Shawn Ryan, Michael Yon said: “No one says who puts up the money.”
This, he said, “tells me it’s China, because China has a way of doing it.”
“But I keep asking people in the government who’s really paying for this, and no one seems to know,” he said.
According to CBN correspondent Chuck Holton, who visited the construction site, the initial plan for the bridge and new highway is to connect towns in the region.
He spoke to the chief bridge engineer, Manuel Pinilla, who told the US broadcaster: ‘This area is rich in fertile soil, used predominantly for agricultural activities such as cattle raising and root vegetable cultivation, among other crops.
Transportation is solely by boat along the river, often requiring four to five hours of travel up or down the river. However, with this project, they will have a more accessible link, potentially leading to significant development.”
However, Holton told CBN that from the size of the construction project, “it appears that the developers may have other plans in the future” to continue the highway.
“And if that’s the case, that could change everything from an economic standpoint, a political standpoint and from a migration standpoint here in the Western Hemisphere,” he said.
Millions of migrants brave the Darien Gap each year (pictured), but are forced to make the journey mostly on foot, facing dangerous river crossings, wild animals and even violent criminal gangs who extort, kidnap and They abuse them.
Migrants heading north take boats in Bajo Chiquito in Panama’s Darién province in 2023
News of the bridge construction came as Human Rights Watch charged Wednesday Colombia and Panama for not doing enough to protect the hundreds of thousands of migrants crossing the Darien Gap bound for the United States.
“Whatever the reason for their journey, immigrants and asylum seekers who cross the Darien Gap have the right to basic security and respect for their human rights along the way,” the HRW director said in a statement. for the Americas, Juanita Goebertus.
“Colombian and Panamanian authorities can and must do more to guarantee the rights of migrants and asylum seekers crossing their countries, as well as local communities that have experienced years of abandonment,” he added.
Despite the dangers, the Darien Gap has become a key corridor for migrants hoping to reach the United States.
In 2023, a record 520,000 people crossed the jungle, according to the Panamanian government.
In its 110-page report, HRW said Colombia “lacks a clear strategy” to protect those who cross the divide, and the limited government presence leaves them exposed to the Clan del Golfo, a drug trafficking cartel and a major player in the immigrant business.
Panama, meanwhile, is focusing more on restricting movement and expediting migrants’ passage to Costa Rica, rather than “addressing their needs or ensuring that they can exercise their right to seek asylum.”
The NGO reported that on both sides of the border, authorities were not doing enough to investigate and punish violations such as widespread sexual abuse or searching for missing people.
Since 2021, there have been more than 1,500 reports of sexual violence in the Darien Gap, but the true number is likely higher, HRW said.
Dozens, possibly hundreds, of people have lost their lives trying to cross or are missing in the region, he said.
It also found “inadequate” efforts to ensure access to food, water and essential health services.
The publication of the report comes after Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in February criticized a sharp increase in sexual violence against migrants and accused Panama of not doing enough to protect them.
Aerial view showing migrants walking through the jungle near the village of Bajo Chiquito, the first border control in Panama’s Darién province, on September 22, 2023.
MSF said an average of 16 women were raped per day in February.
In response, the Panamanian government suspended MSF’s humanitarian work in the Darien Gap and accused it of not sharing data on alleged victims.
The government also accused international aid groups of encouraging illegal migration by handing out maps to help migrants cross the jungle.
Goebertus also urged foreign governments to assist in efforts to protect migrants, saying that Colombia and Panama “should not be left alone to respond to the challenges in the Darien Gap.”