When Iván Duque was elected president of Colombia in 2018 he had a lot on his plate. He was, at once, trying to reduce violence and drug trafficking; implement crop substitution and coca eradication programs, (which wasn’t exactly popular with many of his people); and manage an increasingly hostile relationship with Venezuela.

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At the same time, the 2016 peace accord former President Juan Manuel Santos struck with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) – which ended Colombia’s fifty-year war with the guerilla group, a conflict that killed over 200,000 Colombians and left seven million displaced – was unraveling. The violence that came after the agreement was signed came mainly from FARC fighters who refused to disarm as well as other groups who filled the vacuum that the peace accord created. These groups not only attack civilians, but they also attack each other.

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Just over two years after the historic agreement was signed, the United Nation’s human rights commissioner reported that at least 400 human rights activists (whom the Colombians called “social leaders”) had been killed. The Colombian ombudsman put that number at closer to 710.  These social leaders were advocates for everything from the environment to the rights of indigenous and Afro-Colombian people. Ultimately, a proposed tax increase, high unemployment, continued inequality, and increased crime led to plummeting approval ratings for Iván Duque. Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego was elected president of Colombia in June 2022 and took office on August 7, 2022.

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Over time, the relationship between Washington and Bogotá has evolved into a close economic and security partnership. Recently, we have joined forces to stop migrants from crossing through the Darién Gap, the only land route from South America to the United States – which is an incredibly dangerous journey for families.

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For decades, this unforgiving, arduous terrain acted as a natural barrier between North and South America, but now “entrepreneurs” have made this dangerous, dense jungle passable, providing boat rides, camps, porters, guides, restaurants, and even all-inclusive packages to make the entire experience easier. “Like a ticket to Disney,” one Venezuelan construction worker told The New York Times.

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When you imagine migrants being “smuggled” into the United States, you may picture old-school, thuggish “coyotes” hiding people in the bottoms of battered trucks or walking them through the hot desert or across rapid rivers or helping them creep through secret tunnels. But that’s no longer the case.

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The New York Times reports that, now, the people shepherding migrants through the dangerous jungle are “politicians, prominent businessmen and elected leaders, now sending thousands of migrants toward the United States in plain sight each day – and charging millions of dollars a month for the privilege… today, that profit is greater than ever, with local leaders collecting tens of millions of dollars this year alone from migrants in an enormous people-moving operation – one that international experts say is more sophisticated than anything they have seen.” In 2023, 520,085 people crossed through the Darién Gap, shattering 2022’s record of 250,000.

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One of the things, among many, that makes this so dangerous is that the Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces, often called the Gulf Clan – an uber powerful drug-trafficking group – essentially rules the Urabá region of Antioquia, which includes the entrance to the jungle… to such an extent that the Colombian government considers the Gulf Clan to have “criminal governance” over the area. Colombian President Gustavo Petro estimates that the group earns $30 million a year or more from the migration business alone.

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In April 2023, the United States, Colombia, and Panama signed an agreement to “end the illicit movement of people” through the Darién Gap, a practice that they warned “leads to death and exploitation of vulnerable people for significant profit.”​ If you judge solely by the numbers, the deal seems to be working. Although 302,203 migrants still crossed the Darién Gap into Panama in 2024, that is 42 percent fewer than 2023. It’s important to note that almost 70 percent of these migrants were Venezuelans, who are fleeing dire economic conditions in their own country.

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However, there is reason to be skeptical of the possible long-term success of the agreement. In an interview with The New York Times, President Petro acknowledged that “the national government had little control over the region but added that it was not his goal to stop migration through the Darién anyway – despite the agreement his government signed with the United States. After all, he argued, the roots of this migration were ‘the product of poorly taken measures against Latin American peoples,’ particularly by the United States, pointing to Washington’s sanctions against Venezuela. He said he had no intention of sending ‘horses and whips’ to the border to solve a problem that wasn’t of his country’s making.” Hmmm…that’s not very reassuring.

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Add to that, things in the second Trump administration have started off rocky. In January 2025, in response to Colombia’s decision to turn away American planes carrying Colombian deportees, President Trump threatened tariffs on Colombian goods, along with travel and visa bans. Colombian President Petro countered with retaliatory tariffs of his own, saying Colombia would not accept any deportation flights until the Trump administration treated migrants with “dignity and respect.” In the end, Colombia’s foreign ministry announced it would accept deportation flights and even use the presidential plane to transport returning migrants.