Panama’e National Migration Service (SNM) reported this Saturday, May 20, that the Panamanian authorities keep in custody and under protection, a child under the age of five who was abandoned in the Darién jungle during his migratory journey underlining  concerns about the increase in child migration with over 120,000 crossing the perilous route.

The director of the SNM, Samira Gozaine, pointed out that the report stated that the minor was found by an Ecuadorian family, who helped him and brought him to the receiving community of Bajo Chiquito.

The authorities indicated that they have already managed to identify the mother of the minor, who is pregnant and has three other children.

The Ministry of Public Security, through the SNM and the National Border Service, thanked the Ecuadorean family that helped the minor and brought him to a safe place.

Panama has been facing for years the passage of a wave of migrants risking their lives through the Darien jungle to reach the United States.