The whole story with Anderson cooper launches with “THE TREK: A MIGRANT TRAIL TO AMERICA” on Sunday, April 16 at 8PM ET/PT

CNN’s new Sunday primetime series, The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, will launch with an immersive, one-hour dispatch from CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh, who travels with a group of migrants as they make the arduous trek on foot through Central and South America. “The Trek: A Migrant Trail to America” premieres Sunday, April 16 at 8pm ET/PT.

The journey through the Darien Gap is a perilous jungle crossing between Colombia and Panama that many migrants must face as they head north to seek asylum in the United States. Over five harrowing days, Paton Walsh hikes the full 66-mile roadless route, documenting the heroism of everyday people, milked for cash by drug cartels and unwanted by any country, as they battle the dense rainforest in search of a better life. In this episode, Paton Walsh hears the heartbreaking stories of his companions on the passage, from unaccompanied children, Venezuelan university students whose classmates have been killed, and a mother carrying her disabled daughter desperate for the medicine to treat her epileptic convulsions. As they traverse the mud-packed mountain slopes and treacherously opaque riverbeds, the dangerous trek reveals the enduring humanity of those who embark on this expedition together, sharing their already limited resources with the injured and helping the elderly carry heavy cargo.

“So many people undertake this treacherous trek every year – and the number has doubled this year alone – and the trek through the Darien Gap is a series of private agonies that migrants endure often in silence. We wanted to see for ourselves what they see and what they go through,” said Paton Walsh. “The trek is utterly exhausting and draining – even for us, a film crew with state-of-the-art equipment, proper resources, and lots of food. The scramble of toddlers, parents and the vulnerable through the jungle and its dangers can be depressing, but also at times surprisingly edifying: they never gave up, and always seemed to find something extra to help each other.”

The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper is executive produced by Susan Chun.

The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper will stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com and CNN OTT and mobile apps under “TV Channels,” or CNNgo where available on Sunday at 8pm ET. “The Trek: A Migrant Trail to America” will also be available On Demand beginning Monday, April 17 to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and Cable Operator Platforms. The episode will replay on CNN International on Saturday, April 22 at 3pm ET.

About CNN Worldwide

CNN Worldwide is the most honored brand in cable news, reaching more individuals on television and online than any other cable news organization in the United States. Globally, CNN International is the most widely distributed news channel. CNN Digital is the #1 online news destination, with more unique visitors than any other news source. CNN’s award-winning portfolio includes non-scripted programming from CNN Original Series and CNN Films for broadcast, streaming and distribution across multiple platforms. CNN programming can be found on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español channels, on the CNN Originals hub on discovery+, on HBO Max and for pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world’s most extensively utilized news service partnering with over 1,000 local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery.