Panamanian authorities have transported a group of 109 migrants of various nationalities by sea to La Miel, a Caribbean town on the country’s border with Colombia, to continue their return journey to South America. The move comes after the migrants failed to settle in the United States, following stricter immigration policies implemented under the administration of former President Donald Trump.

The National Migration Service (SNM) of Panama announced in a statement on Tuesday that the transfer was carried out from the Caribbean port of Colón using a vessel from Panama’s National Aeronaval Service (Senan). The operation was part of the country’s so-called “reverse flow” initiative, aimed at facilitating the safe return of migrants.

The official report noted that the group included migrants from nine different nationalities, with 75 adults and 34 minors on board. Authorities emphasized the “inter-institutional commitment to safe and humanitarian reverse migration.”

A source familiar with the process, speaking anonymously to EFE, confirmed that the vessel departed on Monday. Many of the migrants had opted into the reverse flow program after arriving at the Temporary Attention Center for Migrants (CATEM) in Costa Rica, where coordination was made with Panamanian authorities for their return.

Panama’s Ombudsman Office stated on Tuesday that the National Police (PN) used excessive tear gas to disperse a protest in the indigenous community of Arimae, which escalated into a violent clash lasting several hours and leaving multiple people injured on both sides.

After a two-day visit to Arimae, a town in the Darién province about 200 kilometers from Panama City, Ombudsman Eduardo Leblanc reported that “there was clear evidence of the excessive use of tear gas in the community, which has caused various health issues among the population.”

The confrontation occurred on June 5, when police forces arrived to clear a section of the Pan-American Highway — which spans the entire country — that had been blocked by residents using tree trunks. The blockade was part of a protest against a newly enacted social security reform.

According to EFE, police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, while demonstrators hurled rocks, sticks, arrows, and even Molotov cocktails.

Workers from the Panamanian branch of U.S.-based banana giant Chiquita Brands began negotiations on Tuesday with Panamanian lawmakers in an effort to end over a month-long labor conflict that has already resulted in thousands of layoffs and millions in losses.

The employees, based in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, which borders Costa Rica, went on strike on April 28. Since then, they have blocked roads in protest against a pension reform passed by Panama’s Congress.

Chiquita acknowledged dismissing 5,000 workers for what it described as unjustified abandonment of duties. According to the government of President José Raúl Mulino, an additional 1,600 workers have also been fired.

The company claims the strike has caused $75 million in losses and irreparable damage to banana production. On Tuesday, a union delegation began talks with the board of directors of the National Assembly and party leaders, urging lawmakers to pass a bill restoring their benefits.

“The discussion is about [changing] the law,” said union leader Francisco Smith, speaking briefly to reporters.

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However, sources close to the talks told AFP that union leaders are also seeking agreements with both the company and the Panamanian government to reinstate dismissed workers.

“We want to talk with them because we want to see what the Assembly can do to bring peace to this country,” said ruling party congressman Alaín Cedeño.

The strike, which was declared illegal by a labor court, has disrupted all activity in Bocas del Toro, a popular tourist region in Panama.