Flying Monkeys Are More Dangerous Than the Narcissist; New Fuel Prices; Panama Closes Migration Station in Darién.

Friday, May 16, 2025. Flying Monkeys Are More Dangerous Than the Narcissist The Hidden Threat Within Community Dynamics In every toxic social conflict, whether in personal relationships, professional circles, or small communities, there is almost always a central aggressor: someone manipulative, calculating, and fueled by narcissistic traits like grandiosity, envy, or an obsessive need for control. But often, the true damage is not done by this person alone. It’s done by those who enable them. These enablers are what psychologists and popular culture refer to as “Flying Monkeys.”And in many cases, they’re more dangerous than the narcissist. The Real Mechanics of Social Abuse The narcissist may light the match, but it’s the flying monkeys who fuel the fire. In expat communities, where social ecosystems are smaller and more emotionally charged, narcissistic envy can quickly escalate into campaigns of targeted social aggression. These aggressors often: The aggression is rooted not in moral grievance but in envy; a primal, toxic force. And once that narrative is accepted by others, the narcissist rarely needs to act alone. Why the Flying Monkeys Are Worse Flying Monkeys often believe they’re defending a friend or acting out of loyalty. In reality, they’ve surrendered their critical thinking and morality to someone else’s dysfunction. Their behavior is more damaging because: In short, the flying monkeys become proxy abusers, often more venomous than the person they believe they’re protecting. How It Spreads This is not a matter of one bad personality. It’s a social contagion.It spreads through: This phenomenon is not unique to expats, but expat communities are particularly vulnerable. When people are far from their home cultures, dealing with emotional isolation or personal reinvention, they’re more susceptible to manipulative power structures disguised as friendship or activism. The Courage to Break the Cycle Stopping this dynamic doesn’t require confrontation, it requires clarity and boundaries. Ask yourself: Choosing not to participate is not weakness, it’s resistance.It takes more strength to walk away from the mob than to chant with it. And for those who find themselves under attack: know that these orchestrated campaigns often say more about the insecurity of the aggressor and the weakness of their followers than about anything you’ve done. You don’t need to defend your entire character to people who’ve chosen not to see it.Just keep walking. The loudest voices are often the most hollow. Stay sharp, Brett MikkelsonDirector, B.M. Investigations, Inc.Veteran | Investigator | Observer of Human Behavior TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: New Fuel Prices Set Until May 30 The Panama Secretariat of Energy announced on Wednesday that fuel prices will remain unchanged for the next 15 days, starting Friday, May 16. According to the official report, 95-octane gasoline will maintain its current price of $0.91 per liter, while 91-octane gasoline will also remain at $0.85 per liter. Meanwhile, low-sulfur diesel will decrease by two cents, setting the new price at $0.75 per liter. These prices will remain in effect until 5:59 a.m. on Friday, May 30, at which time a possible update will be evaluated based on fluctuations in the international market. This decision is part of the government’s efforts to provide stability in transportation and household fuel costs amid global energy market volatility. READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE Panama Closes Migration Station in Darién Following Sharp Drop in Northbound Flow The Government of Panama announced on Wednesday the closure of its main migration station at the exit of the Darién region, following a drastic drop in the northbound flow of irregular travelers—marking the end of a years-long humanitarian crisis. “I hereby report the closure of the temporary migration reception station of Lajas Blancas, the main station established by the Panamanian State to manage the South-North migration phenomenon,” said a Panamanian official during a ceremony led by Minister of Public Security Frank Ábrego. A large banner reading “ETRM Lajas Blancas CLOSED” was displayed at the site, which now shows a desolate landscape in stark contrast to past images filled with crowds of migrants and locals who took advantage of the flow to sell all kinds of goods. Minister Ábrego stated that more than one million people passed through Lajas Blancas since its opening in 2009. By late April, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino had already declared that “for all practical purposes,” the Darién was closed as an irregular migration route. He cited the fact that only 73 migrants crossed the jungle that month, compared to 194 in March or the 29,259 who made the journey in April of the previous year—a 99.7% decrease from 2024 levels. The Panamanian government attributes the drop in northbound migration to measures such as the closure of jungle paths to channel travelers into a single “humanitarian corridor,” fines for irregular entry into the country, and a U.S.-funded deportation flight program. However, it was the return to power of Donald Trump in the United States and his new immigration restrictions that led to a drastic decline in northbound migration and an increase in the “reverse flow”—though on a smaller scale than initial forecasts had suggested. Panama’s restrictions have been in place since last year, which ended with 300,549 irregular migrants arriving after crossing the Darién—a 41% drop from the record 511,103 recorded in 2023, according to official statistics cited by Mulino in a January address to Parliament. The ‘Controlled Flow’ Plan While the Darién jungle has been used for decades as a route for irregular migration, the first major crisis emerged in 2015–2016 when thousands of Cubans used it to reach the U.S. amid impending changes to U.S. immigration policy toward islanders. The Panamanian State responded with what it called a “controlled flow” strategy, which was also applied during the Venezuelan migration crisis that escalated in 2019. That crisis prompted the establishment of the Lajas Blancas station in its current form, officially opened in September 2020. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlighted at the time that the Lajas Blancas station was the result of efforts by the Panamanian government and international cooperation partners to offer irregular migrants access to medical and mental health services. At Panamanian migration stations, biometric data of migrants was