Panama's new president vows migration crackdown with assistance from Washington

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino, with his wife Marisel Cohen de Mulino, and National Assembly President Dana Castaneda, gestures during his swearing-in ceremony, in Panama City, Panama July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Aris Martinez

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -Panama's new president, Jose Raul Mulino, took office on Monday vowing to curb illegal immigration, with his government quickly signing an agreement with the United States to crack down on migration through the treacherous Darien Gap jungle passage.

In his first address as president, Mulino, 65, promised to seek international assistance to find solutions to what he described a costly "humanitarian and environmental crisis."