BAJO CHIQUITO, Panama — Jesús Chávez, a 34-year-old pastry chef hailing from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, arrived on Friday in this small village bordering the Darien jungle in Panama.
He traveled alongside five companions, including friends and family members, all of whom left Venezuela the previous Saturday, aiming to reach the United States.
Chávez explained that they had been waiting for the outcome of the presidential election in July, but after President Nicolás Maduro was proclaimed the winner despite widespread belief that he had actually lost, they opted to leave. “We didn’t see any hope,” Chávez remarked.

The group embarked on their journey through the treacherous Darien Gap on Tuesday and learned of Donald Trump’s election victory while navigating the dense foliage of the jungle.
“We’re trying to arrive as soon as possible, before January, to see if we have a chance with CBP One,” he noted, referring to the online platform provided by the U.S. government that enables migrants to schedule an appointment to request asylum at the border. Trump has mentioned plans to abolish the CBP One program.
Chávez expressed their intention to reach Tapachula, a southern city in Mexico, which would grant them access to the app necessary for their asylum process.

In Bajo Chiquito, migrants have the opportunity to purchase food, rent accommodations, and set up their tents or hammocks. The area is equipped with Wi-Fi, and several non-governmental organizations are present to provide medical assistance.
Venezuelans form the bulk of the migrants passing through this area, but the group that arrived on Friday also included individuals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bangladesh.
As of Tuesday, Panama had recorded nearly 289,000 migrant entries through the Darien, marking about 38% fewer than during the same timeframe last year. Notably, Venezuelans accounted for 69% of this year’s migrant arrivals.