More Cuban Detainees in Panama

HAVANA TIMES — The number of undocumented foreigners being held by the Panamanian National Border Service has tripled in recent weeks, with most of those detainees being Cubans who entered the country through the Darien Gap, the jungle border with Colombia, reports the EFE news agency.

The newspaper Panama America reported on Monday that Panamanian security forces have intercepted more than 1,800 Cubans, whose deportation back to Cuba is difficult since most of them are not carrying identification documents.

The arrests of Cubans over the last three years have increased from 70 in 2010, to 298 in 2011, to 1,893 cases having been recorded so far this year.