Mayor Adams acknowledged Monday that he visited the “extremely dangerous” Darién Gap during his Latin America trip last week even though Colombian authorities advised against him going there due to security concerns.
“We had to convince the National Police to allow us to go in … They were clear that we should not go inside,” the mayor told reporters in Manhattan about his Saturday visit to the gap, a 66-mile pathway connecting the Colombia-Panama border that many South and Central American migrants cross on their way to the U.S.
Because he decided to visit the gap anyway, Colombia’s National Police had to deploy dozens of officers to join him for protection, Adams said.
“They would not allow me to go outside their protection. They had 50 National Police that were there, they wanted to do 100, because that area is an extremely dangerous area,” he said. “Many people that start out going through the gap don’t make it through.”
The gap, situated in a dense jungle, is dangerous for various reasons.
The U.S. State Department advises against visiting the area as it’s controlled by paramilitary forces, gangs and drug traffickers, some of whom demand payment from migrants to help smuggle them north. The jungle is also home to an array of dangerous animals, and at least 137 migrants died or went missing there last year, according to the United Nations.
Adams, who insists on being an on-the-ground mayor, said he felt it was crucial for him to visit the gap, though.
“We had to go there and see for ourselves as we flew over the gap and as we walked through the gap to make sure that we have a proper definition of what the problem is,” he said. “And now we have to come back with a formidable plan to address it.”
Adams has said he went on his four-day trip to Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico with a goal of learning more about the root causes driving migration from South and Central America. He has also said he traveled there to try to discourage Latin Americans from coming to New York City, which is already sheltering and providing services for more than 62,000 migrants, putting intense strain on local social safety nets.
Immigration advocates have questioned the utility of Adams’ visit, arguing that international relations are better left to federal diplomats.
Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said Monday that Adams should never have gone on the trip “while there is so much work that needs to get done in New York City.
“Wasting time and resources trying to affect international policy and migration, things fully outside of his purview and scope of control, is particularly ridiculous,” Awawdeh said. “Then, insisting on visiting the Darién Gap, against the advice of his Colombian hosts and the U.S. government, is completely irresponsible.”
