Reverse migration: Venezuelans head back towards South America after US dreams dashed
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At least six boats departed the island of Gardi Sugdub in the San Blas Archipelago off the coast of Panama.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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GARDI SUGDUB ISLAND, Panama - Dozens of Venezuelan migrants boarded small boats on an island off the Caribbean coast of Panama on Feb 24, setting off towards Colombia by sea as part of a reverse migration of families who have given up trying to reach the US.
At least six boats, each with more than a dozen people aboard, departed the island of Gardi Sugdub in the San Blas Archipelago off the coast of Panama, aiming to reach Playa Miel near the Colombian border.
From there, the migrants planned to continue their south-bound journey until arriving home in their native Venezuela.
Ms Fabiola Rodriguez, a Venezuelan migrant who reached Mexico but was unable to enter the US, was among dozens who waited to board the small boats over the weekend.
She said that a lack of clarity from Panamanian officials about repatriation options forced her and others to make their way home on their own, despite the costs and the dangers.
A Venezuelan girl died over the weekend, after one of the boats was shipwrecked with more than a dozen migrants on board, according to the Panamanian authorities.
Mr Daniel Gonzalez, a Venezuelan man travelling with his wife, daughter and niece, said that they would rather be in Venezuela than in another country in the region, such as Mexico or Costa Rica.
On Feb 23, he and his family waited at the port of Niga Kantule for a boat that would take them to Gardi Sugdub Island.
“Of course, we wanted to reach the United States to have a better life,” he said. “But that wasn’t possible.”
The reverse migration follows US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on unlawful migration
