Panama Requests Global Cooperation at UN

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino demanded at the 79th United Nations General Assembly the support of the international community to confront irregular migration to the United States, hired by criminal groups.

In his first speech as head of state before the plenary session of the world body, Mulino denounced that the Darien jungle has been used as a gateway for hundreds of thousands of migrants, who have been fleeing serious economic, political and social problems in search of the so-called American dream.

He said that the country does not have the resources or material possibilities to solve the migration crisis on its own, and added that it is a global problem, which the United Nations should place at the forefront of its agenda.

He explained that the isthmus is currently paying a high environmental price as a result of this illegal flow, causing severe damage to its biodiversity.

He said that more than half a million illegal immigrants entered the Darien border in 2023. This corresponds to 12 percent of the total population of Panama. If the same thing happened in the United States, it would mean the entry of 40 million illegal immigrants in one year, that is, a number 20 times greater than what they receive today.

Mulino asked that they appreciate the magnitude of what is happening, because, as he explained, he does not feel that they have all the international support that is required to face a situation that is so distressing from a humanitarian point of view, so costly financially, so risky for security and so alarming for the environmental devastation it leaves behind.

He announced that during his administration, which began on July 1 and will continue until 2029, he will take advantage of every forum to demand a shared effort to stop the flow of illegal migration.

In another part of his appearance, the president referred to the inclusion of Panama in the discriminatory tax lists that, he indicated, are established by the particular interests of nations that fail to be competitive or attractive to their fellow citizens.

On this subject, he argued that the country has implemented significant reforms in its financial and legal system to comply with international standards of transparency and prevention of money laundering and other organized crime offenses. In addition, he noted, it shows willingness to collaborate with international organizations and sign tax information exchange treaties with several countries, but it has not been enough.

“Panama is not a tax haven,” he stressed, and then reiterated the decision not to allow companies from countries that endorse and support these lists to participate in international tenders in the canal country, in addition to the fact that they will not have their vote in international organizations.

This provision, he clarified, implies that they will not allow any more unfair accusations that harm the economic capacity, prestige and image of the Central American country.

He also stressed that Panama will be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the sixth time in history, starting in January 2025, which reflects its conduct in the fight against terrorism, human trafficking and drug trafficking.