Venezuela's Minister of Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, during a press conference broadcast by the state channel VTV, urged the President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, to "guard his territory" and control the flow of migrants across the border with Venezuela. This occurred in response to Mulino's statements about the possibility of relocating Venezuelan migrants to the Colombian city of Cúcuta if they enter Panama from the north and cannot reach the United States.
Cabello mentioned that the Venezuelan government repatriation program Vuelta a la Patria, implemented in 2018 by Nicolás Maduro's government, has faced difficulties because some countries, like Panama, do not allow Venezuelan planes to refuel on their territory or allow them to land. The minister argued that the presence of his citizens in the United States is not Venezuela's responsibility and attributed this to a disinformation campaign.
Although diplomatic relations between Panama and Venezuela are suspended, Cabello stated that the success of the Vuelta a la Patria program, which has brought back around 914,000 migrants to Venezuela, does not depend on individuals like the President of Panama. He also recalled that Panama recognized an opposition leader as an elected president, which led to the closure of air and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Venezuelans represent the majority group of migrants crossing the Darién in search of better opportunities in North America. Despite the migration policies implemented by Panama to reduce the flow in that area, Venezuelans have continued their transit northward. The emergence of coyotes and the collaboration of Panamanian authorities in allowing this irregular passage of migrants has been criticized by Cabello.
