Migrants crossing the Darien heard of Donald Trump’s victory — and picked up the pace

Associated Press

BAJO CHIQUITO, Panama (AP) — Jesús Chávez, a 34-year-old pastry chef from Venezuela, arrived to a village at Panama’s edge of the Darien jungle. He was traveling with five others, a mix of friends and family. They had all left Venezuela last Saturday with the goal of reaching the United States. He said the group had waited in Venezuela for the results of July’s presidential election, but after President Nicolás Maduro was declared winner despite evidence that he had lost, they decided to leave. “We didn’t see any hope,” Chávez said. On Tuesday, they headed into the Colombian side of the jungle. They heard about Donald Trump’s presidential victory while still trudging through the Darien.