Pro-Palestinian movement is the most anti-American ever & more dangerous than Mexican cartels, says Steve Bannon

Our US special of Never Mind the Ballots will feature political heavyweights this week.

You can watch it at 9pm BST on Thursday on thesun.co.uk and The Sun’s YouTube channel.

And you can help set the agenda – by submitting your questions via email at readerquestions@the-sun.co.uk.

By Tom Malley, Foreign News Reporter

THE DARIEN Gap jungle is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth – roamed by natural horrors along with gangs of bandits and kidnappers.

People daring to trek through the “never-ending green hell” used to fear its suffocating temperatures and deadly animals – now it’s the thought of being raped and left for dead.

The biggest concern for those preparing to traverse the only overland route from South America into Central America no longer stems from the thought of what they may encounter – but who?

The Darien Gap is a narrow 66-mile stretch of nearly untouched jungle between Colombia and Panama.

It is crossed by hundreds of thousands of people every year as a migration route – and many of them do not make it out alive.

One of the most perilous stretches is known as the “Hill of Death”.

With no roads, migrants make the death-defying treks on narrow, foot-beaten paths through the jungle.

Corpses can sometimes be seen along the side of the trial – and the rusting remains of vehicles that once tried to make the nearly impassable journey.

Drug traffickers, armed bandits and indigenous groups prowl the dangerous trek’s darkest depths, reigning terror for those hoping to make it to the United States.

And after more than half a million people attempted to cross the Darien Gap in 2023, triple the amount from the previous year, things have only gotten worse.

Of that number, 113,180 children and over 1,000 pregnant women were registered, while a further 3,300 were listed as unaccompanied and/or separated children, according to a recent UNICEF report.

What was more harrowing, however, was the sevenfold increase in violent and sexual attacks.

Gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence affecting women and girls as young as the age of ten, increased significantly, compounding the misery for those trying to cross the Darien Gap.

The dense, mountainous jungles grown thick with foliage is now home to a victim of sexual violence every three and a half hours.

Médicos Sin Fronteras (Doctors without Borders), a charity providing humanitarian medical care, identified more than 600 survivors of sexual abuse last year.

Nearly nine per cent were children under 18, with the majority being girls.

But things have only worsened since the turn of the new year.

A local source, who has chosen to remain anonymous for safety reasons, told The Sun Online the increase in sexual violence is “terrifying”.

They said: “We are really worried from what we have already seen in January – we attended to 100 victims of sexual abuse in just one week.

“Last year we had 700 but this year we are already attending 100 a week, it’s terrifying.”

By Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter

US voters fear president Joe Biden will die during his second term in office if he wins the American general election.

Scarlett Maguire, director of polling firm JL Partners, told The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots show that many Americans worry about Biden’s age – and his ability to face off against Vladimir Putin.

She explained many Americans are seriously worried about the 81-year-old Biden’s cognitive ability and his apparent decline.

And the polls show many think this is why Trump must win – otherwise, they could have a president who isn’t mentally fit enough to go toe-to-toe with other leaders on the world stage.

Many are worried that he would not make it through a meeting with Putin – who is ten years younger at 71.

Biden has tripped up with numerous gaffes during his presidency – including stumbles on stairs and appearing to be forgetful, with a special counsel report saying his memory is “hazy” and “faulty”.

The oldest president ever has defended himself – saying his memory is “fine”, while his doctor insists he is “fity for duty”.

Scarlett explained: “We asked the American people whether they even thought Biden would still be alive in four years time, by the end of his second term.

“Four in ten didn’t think he’d be able to make it to the end.”