Mostly Haitian Migrants Cross Treacherous Darien Gap En Route To U.S. Border

ACANDI, COLOMBIA - OCTOBER 07: A mother pauses to put back on dry socks and shoes after crossing a river in the Darien Gap in route to the United States on October 07, 2021 near Acandi, Colombia. The passage through dense rainforest is considered the most dangerous stretch for migrants traveling from South America to the U.S. During the trip, torrential downpours lead to sudden river floodings, often resulting in migrant drownings along the way. Reports of robberies and rapes are common, especially after migrants pass the remote mountain border crossing from Colombia into Panama. More than 70,000 migrants have traveled through the Darien Gap this year, according to Panamanian authorities. Most of the migrants in recent months have been Haitians, many of whom had been living in Chile and Brazil since the 2010 Haitian earthquake. The Darien Gap is the 66-mile stretch of rainforest between North and South America where the Panamerican Highway was never completed due to severe terrain, enormous cost and myriad environmental concerns. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)