The Darién Gap: A Dual Reality for Migrants and Adventure Tourists
The Darien Gap, a treacherous stretch of jungle in Panama, has become a magnet for adventure tourists seeking to explore one of the world's wildest places. However, this same jungle has also become a humanitarian crisis zone for migrants from around the world, including Venezuela and Africa, who are attempting to reach the United States. The migration routes are controlled by criminal groups, and hundreds of migrants have died or gone missing in the region. The intersection of adventure tourism and the migrant crisis raises ethical questions about the responsibility of tourists and the need for standards in tourism endeavors. Indigenous communities in the Darien rely on tourism to support their local economies, but some humanitarian aid groups criticize marketing trips as survival tests, arguing that it distracts from the suffering of migrants.