Ecuadorian family rescues abandoned 5-year-old boy in Darien

A 5-year-old migrant boy who was allegedly abandoned in the Darien Gap was rescued by an Ecuadorian family who also crossed the jungle. Currently, he is in the “custody and protection” of the Panamanian authorities. It was reported this Saturday by the Panamanian National Migration Service (SNM).

In a statement, the immigration office said, “He was found by an Ecuadorian family who helped him and brought him to the receiving community (of immigrants) in Bajo Chiquito, an indigenous town located in the Panamanian province of Darien on the border with Colombia.

Panamanian authorities have already identified “the boy’s mother, who has three more children and is pregnant,” the official said. This is regardless of the nationality of the child and his family.

“The Ministry of Public Security, through the SNM and the National Border Service (Senafront), thanked the Ecuadorian family for taking the boy to a safe place, where they are safe and sound,” officials said.

They added that the Ministry of Public Affairs (MP, Public Prosecutor’s Office) is following the case to establish responsibilities. Additionally, they reiterated that the Darien Gap is “a dangerous jungle.”

Director of the Panama Immigration Office, Samira Gossin, spoke of the grim evidence of children being abandoned or dying in the jungle. A place where travelers are exposed to the harshness of the jungle environment and the presence of criminals

The National Migration Service (SNM) reports that the Panamanian authorities have taken into custody a child under the age of five who was abandoned in the Darien forest. pic.twitter.com/BFawjzKOxY

— Migration Panama (@migrationpanama) May 20, 2023

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