Panama closes border with Colombia to stem migrant flow
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PANAMA CITY - Panama will close key crossings on its border with Colombia to prevent undocumented migrants from Cuba and Africa entering the country, President Juan Carlos Varela said on Monday.
"We've taken the difficult decision to close the border with Colombia in the Puerto Obaldia area and in other parts of the border to prevent the trafficking of illegal immigrants," Varela said at the launch of an anti-drug trafficking operation.
Last week, Panama and Mexico agreed to airlift almost 3,500 Cubans stranded since December on the Panamanian frontier with Costa Rica to near the US Mexico border.
