Panama closes border to migrants

PANAMA’S BORDER with Colombia, in the area of Puerto Obaldia and other points has been closed by,President, Juan Carlos Varela to deal with the migrant crisis .

He made the, announcement  Monday May 9 and described it as  a “difficult” decision, adopted after other Central American countries like Nicaragua and Costa Rica had done the same.

Varela appealed to countries involved in the migratory flow to be part of a  dialogue to resolve the issue, leaving “partisan politics aside.”

He said  that the instruction to apply the ban  has already been  given to the general director of the State Border Service (SENAFRONT), Cristian Hayer, and it went entered into force four days ago.

Varela, , said the first two planes with Cuban citizens who were stranded in the country have left  for Mexico  en route  to the United States.

The transfer of the remaining 3 800  800 Cubans who are in shelters located on the border with Costa Rica in Los Planes, Gualaca district, Chiriquí and Puerto Obaldia is underway as  an “exceptional limited last time  solution, says the Ministry of Communication.

“With the completion of this humanitarian operation, “we cannot continue to be part of this traffic all the time,” said Varela.