Central America
Panama urges environmental review of Darién jungle after migration surge
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced on Friday that he has proposed to neighboring Colombia a joint evaluation of the ecological impact left by the migration crisis in the Darién jungle, the natural border between the two countries.
During his weekly press conference, Mulino said that after flying over the jungle, he observed that what was once a narrow path had turned into a “road” through which more than a million people had crossed illegally.
“We fulfilled our commitment and closed the Darién,” he stated. “But the environmental damage there — I don’t yet know the full extent. That’s something that must be assessed. Panama’s Ministry of Environment is involved, and I’ve also proposed to Colombian authorities that we carry out a joint evaluation.”
The Darién Gap, a natural lung linking Central and South America, became the scene of an unprecedented migration crisis between 2021 and 2024. Hundreds of thousands, mostly Venezuelans, crossed the jungle irregularly en route to the U.S., fleeing the worsening crisis in their home country.
On May 14, 2025, Panama officially shut down its main migrant reception center at the exit of the Darién, citing a sharp drop in irregular crossings due to stricter migration policies under the new Trump administration in the United States.
Mulino’s administration attributes the drop in migration not only to U.S. policies but also to measures implemented locally, such as closing unauthorized trails, establishing a single “humanitarian corridor,” imposing fines for illegal entry, and launching deportation flights funded by the U.S.
In October 2023, Panama’s Ministry of Environment reported that each migrant left behind an average of 9 kilograms of waste during their passage through the jungle. At that time, three main migration routes had already affected 37 streams and 20 rivers.
The Ministry estimated that restoring the environmental damage would require over $11.9 million — funds intended for reforesting, soil recovery, and initiating studies on water sources and biodiversity in Darién, a 579,000-hectare national park listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.
Central America
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
A container originating from El Salvador and carrying coffee for export was contaminated with more than 1,152 packages of drugs while in transit through Panama, according to official information confirmed by the Panamanian government this Tuesday.
The case, which had previously generated political controversy in April 2025 after opposition sectors attempted to link the Salvadoran government to drug trafficking, has now been clarified through renewed investigations.
Authorities confirmed that the container departed from the port of Acajutla after being properly inspected, with no illicit substances detected at the time of export.
According to statements previously provided by El Salvador’s Minister of Defense, René Merino Monroy, the shipment traveled first to the port of Balboa in Panama, where it remained stored for several days before being transferred to another vessel bound for Manzanillo in Colón.
It was at that terminal that Panamanian authorities discovered the drugs and identified tampering with the container seals, indicating that the illicit alteration occurred during its transit in Panama rather than in Salvadoran territory.
The findings align with earlier explanations provided by Salvadoran officials and confirm that the contamination of the cargo took place outside of El Salvador’s jurisdiction.
Central America
Uber Eats adds Puntarenas and Turrialba to growing Costa Rica network
Uber Eats announced that it is continuing to expand its presence in Costa Rica with the launch of operations in the cities of Puntarenas and Turrialba, further strengthening the company’s growth in the country.
With this expansion, the delivery platform is now available across all seven Costa Rican provinces and works with more than 6,000 partner businesses. Its offerings include prepared food, supermarkets, pharmacies, pet stores, and other specialty retailers.
As part of the announcement, Uber Eats also introduced Marco Nannipieri as its new Regional General Manager for the Andean Region, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Nannipieri will oversee the company’s operations in Costa Rica along with seven other countries in the region.
“Costa Rica is a key market for Uber Eats in the region, with growing adoption of technology among users and businesses. Over the past five years, more than 1,000 restaurants and merchants have joined the app, and today we are entering a new stage of expansion that will allow us to reach more cities outside the Greater Metropolitan Area, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country,” Nannipieri said.
Central America
Report questions direction of Nasry Asfura after 100 days in office
The Center for the Study of Democracy warned Tuesday that the government of Nasry Asfura, which marks its first 100 days in office on Wednesday, has failed to show a “significant change in direction” and continues to follow a model characterized by exclusion, inequality, and external dependence.
In its report titled “100 Days of the Nasry Asfura Government: Concerns and Demands,” Cespad stated that the administration has maintained an economic and political model that prioritizes debt payments, the promotion of extractive projects, and the strengthening of the security apparatus over social investment.
The organization argued that the current policies have not addressed structural problems affecting large sectors of the Honduran population and warned that inequality and economic dependence remain key challenges for the country.
Nasry Asfura won the general elections held on November 30, 2025, in a process marked by allegations of fraud and delays in the vote count that lasted nearly a month due to a series of technological failures.
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