Panama City —
Nicaragua has become a hot spot for migrants from around the world seeking to avoid a brutal trek through the Darien Gap jungle.
Migrants from South American and Caribbean countries, Africa and Asia, have long had to brave the lawless, virtually impassable rainforest that straddles Panama and Colombia, in a bid to reach the United States.
However, analysts say that the government of Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega, a longtime nemesis of the United States, has deliberately made it easier for migrants to bypass the Darien by flying straight into his country and then heading north overland.
Manuel Orozco, a migration expert at the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue, told AFP that Ortega’s government was facilitating "the business of a network of international air services" so that migrants "can reach the border with Mexico and the United States faster."
"We collected data from more than 500 charter flights," said Orozco, adding that between April and June, airport authorities had hired "private companies located in Dubai to train officials in the international handling of paperwork for these types of flights."
