Bodies of 9 suspected migrants found in eastern Panama

PANAMA CITY — Nine bodies of suspected migrants person been recovered adjacent a distant assemblage successful the Panamanian jungle adjacent to the borderline with Colombia, section prosecutors said Friday.

The bodies, including 1 child, were recovered adjacent the Tuqueza and Canaán Membrillo rivers successful the Emberá Wounaán indigenous region, according to the Darien state prosecutor’s office.

Chief authoritative Julio Vergara said helium believes they whitethorn beryllium immigrants due to the fact that a Haitian pistillate told authorities that connected the Tuqueza stream dense rains had produced precocious waters that had swept distant astir 9 people, who had remained missing.

The recovered bodies did not person recognition documents, the bureau said successful a statement. It added that truthful acold this year, the bodies of 41 migrants had been recovered on rivers successful the jungle spanning the unsafe Darien Gap that connects Colombia and Panama.

On Thursday, Panama President Laurentino Cortizo said that much than 80,000 migrants had entered Panama illegally this year.

Thousands of Haitian migrants question done the Darien Gap arsenic they determination from South American countries, including Brazil and Chile, northbound to the United States border.

More than 14,000 migrants, mostly Haitians, amassed successful the Texas borderline municipality of Del Rio past weekend, seeking to participate the United States.