How is the Darien being covered in social media? A digital look at migration

Earlier this week, the governments of Colombia, Panama and the United States reached an agreement to alleviate the wave of migration through the Darien Gap, the thick jungle that links South and Central America and through which hundreds of thousands of people have passed in recent years on their way to the north of the continent.

The humanitarian crisis, which is due to the political and economic circumstances of the region, has found in social media a window of exposure and a diverse amplification apparatus. An exploration of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X -formerly Twitter- and TikTok carried out by the Green Lantern organization sought to characterize the digital ecosystem of migration through the Darien.

Between muddy roads, campsites and boat trips, a woman romanticizes the journey through the Darien in a video that accumulates 1.6 million views on TikTok. In another, a woman recounts her first day in the jungle, following the dynamic of some influencers to record their daily routine.

According to the research, there are notable differences in each of the platforms. While on X, formal voices - from the media, governments and international agencies - dominate the conversation, spaces such as TikTok have become platforms for migrants themselves to share their experience and expose their emotions.

Based on intimate, first-person accounts, people who cross the Darién turn their social media accounts into a megaphone from which they record their daily lives, often in positive terms or with the purpose of encouraging others to undertake the journey. In other cases, migration is 'memified' and the dynamics of social media-such as sketches, image and voice filters- are used to address the experience of the jungle with satire or humor.

The contents also leverage recognized cultural elements, such as songs -especially corridos- that deal with illegal migration and the struggle for a better quality of life. This is the case of songs such as Billete grandeby Fuerza Regida, or Ilegal by Grupo Recluta. "So was my passage across the border, with a dream because hunger does not wait for you", says the lyrics of one.

The observation included an analysis of more than a thousand comments to the videos on TikTok, which led to the conclusion that, in general terms, the response to the content is marked by expressions of solidarity and empathy. Users who interacted with the content tended to express their support for migrants, commend them to God and include them in their prayers.

At least 45 people have died this year attempting to cross the border, according to estimates by Panama's Public Security Minister Frank Abrego. In the digital conversation, some content emphasizes the dangers of the journey, which includes raging rivers, predatory animals and the presence of criminal groups.

One video shows a man jumping from a height of several meters into a waterfall with a child in his arms. Another shows an alligator on the banks of the Tuira River, as well as the remains of animals eaten along the road.

This type of content also has room for testimonials and alerts. This is the case of a migrant who warns how a child has been left alone on the route. "If his mother doesn't make it, we take him into the group and we have him here safe and sound," says the person recording. YouTube content creators who have made the journey on more than one occasion also appear to share the experience with their audience.

While content about the risks of the crossing abounds in the digital conversation, according to the observation it tends to get lost amidst the landscape of informative, opinionated or overtly tabloid material about humanitarian dramas.

The situation in the Darien has given rise to an offer of irregular migration services that is also present in social networks. On TikTok, agencies promote "100% safe travel" and the rates of the routes to Panama from Colombia, as well as the services included in each package. Much of this material has been removed by the platform.

TikTok's policies prohibit content related to "human smuggling," that is, content that provides assistance or sells services to help a person enter another country illegally. However, the company expressly provides a space for migrants to document their experiences, "as long as the involvement of smugglers is not explicitly shown."

In 2023, more than half a million people crossed the Darien and more than 200,000 have done so so so far this year. According to some forecasts, the political crisis that has followed the recent elections in Venezuela could trigger a new wave of migration in the continent. A look at the digital conversation about this phenomenon can shed much more light on how to address and understand the crisis, beyond the efforts of the governments involved to close ranks and cut the flow.

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