U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to Panama to co-host the ‘Ministerial Conference on Migration and Protection with officials from the Government of Panama and leaders from 20 other Western Hemisphere nations.

The talks focused on migration in the region and how to safely manage the issue.

-The number of migrants crossing the treacherous Darien Gap linking Colombia and Panama more than doubled in the first quarter of 2022 compared with the year-earlier period, led by Venezuelans.

In the first three months of the year, 13,425 people crossed the region compared with 5,622 people in the same period of 2021,

The Darien Gap encompasses a dangerous jungle where migrants trekking on foot for days often suffer robbery, violence and sexual abuse while en route to the United States.

Aljazeera.