Lots of Venezuelans we met today say they decided to go to the US now because the news was telling them Venezuelans could get TPS and the door was essentially wide open. But before they could make it, they were turned around by border authorities (either in Mexico or some other country) and told there is a quota of 30K and it has been filled. Many of the Venezuelans are now stuck - they can't walk back the way they came through the Darien, and can't continue forward. They are largely relegated to begging and busking to survive. All we talked to said if they knew then what they know now, they would not have come at all. Most have already been living in a third country (Peru and Colombia are favorites) for some years (3 or more) and surviving fine but were convinced by the rhetoric of the Biden admin that this was their chance. They are pretty disillusioned.

This family had been living okay in Colombia. Father is a construction worker and musician, now he makes about $20-25 a day playing his old trumpet. The family rented a room about 45 minutes away, and pays $235 a month for it. They don't know what they will do. They wish they had stayed in Colombia. they walked six days through the jungle with their four children. Their youngest is four years old. There were many dead bodies and those in front of them were robbed, but thankfully they were not.

It has been a very wet "dry season" in Panama this year, which is undoubtedly causing additional hardship for those coming through the Darien now. Panama is reportedly rounding up Venezuelans to send them back home. Am trying to confirm this.