The Outside Interview: Jason Motlagh on the Darien Gap

Published: July 26, 2016, 10:38 p.m.

Jason Motlagh and his crew were the first journalists in years to successfully cross the Dari\xe9n Gap, a lawless, roadless jungle on the border of Colombia and Panama. Teeming with deadly snakes, drug traffickers, and antigovernment guerrillas, it has become a pathway for migrants whose desperation to reach the U.S. sends them on a perilous journey. He talks to Chris Keyes about the risks and logistics of the assignment, his motivations as a reporter, and the emotional toll of working in conflict zones.