The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. In December 2018, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found Honduras responsible for failing to investigate Hernndezs death. In Honduras, steps were taken to demilitarize public security forces and a community policing model was announced, with the hope being that the measures would increase public trust in an institution that has historically been dogged by corruption and infiltrated by the very same organized crime groups it is supposed to combat. There are 37 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, and all 18 provinces are. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. During the first month of the measures, 39 criminal gangs were destroyed and 652 people were arrested, while 43 kilos of cocaine and thousands of grams and rocks of crack were seized, the police said. But Honduras is far from Eden. However, More than2 million touristsvisited in 2017. The inmates, all from Honduras, had reportedly escaped custody yesterday in Scott County. Share this via LinkedIn ACNUR acoge con satisfaccin la aprobacin de la ley sobre desplazamiento interno en Honduras Format News and Press Release Source. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. Since 2012, the Honduran police have implemented a program sponsored by the US Department of State called Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) which aims to discourage youth crime and gang recruitment. How Gangs Control Honduras - YouTube 0:00 / 11:46 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. The information present in this safety guide was accurate at the time of writing, however, the world is a changeable place, now more than ever. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. Well Public transportation can be alittle trickyin Honduras, and its not always safe. And if youre visiting as part of a tour, then youre likely to stay safe. Of the 6,088,590 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX. Newton County Sheriff's Office was involved with . I agree with Bukele and I want the same here. Police reforms are most successful when theyre coupled with investments in social services and cross-cutting investments to address some of the root causes like poverty and exclusion that can cause crime in the first place, said Mary Malone, a professor at the University of New Hampshire who has studied policing in Central America. One good thing I can say about Roatan is that the dive sites are excellent around the island. Indeed, Honduras is seeing a plague of femicidesa woman is murdered every 36 hours, mostly by an intimate partner. Between the pandemic, ever-worsening cultural division, and a click-hungry media, it can be hard to maintain what is truth and what is sensationalism. This social democratic government is declaring war on extorsion, just as it has, since the first day, declared wars on corruption, impunity and drug trafficking," Castro said. Many women are choosing to flee the violence in their communities. Your laptop deserves a proper pack, and we know a good few! Do your own research. Alongside her husband, Sasha, she co-founded the. Violence: Honduras reached a . We travel with a filter bottle, the GRAYL GEOPRESS or we just boil the water for a few minutes and store in a refillable water bottle. Prosecutors and whistleblowers have received death threats. Honduras is one of the Western Hemisphere's deadliest countries for journalists, with security forces representing their biggest threat, Reporters Without Borders noted in 2021. A large chunk of thosearrived via cruise ships, however. Human rights defenders have said they will monitor the measures. And people do go. TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The Honduran government on Saturday extended a state of emergency declaration for 45 days, expanding it to additional areas of the country in an effort to fight criminal gangs amid high levels of violence. They offer simple & flexible travel insurance, and safety advice to help you travel confidently. This should not distract, however, from the fact that there are life-threatening problems that residents of Honduras struggle with daily. REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File PhotoReuters. Honduras Private Sector and Anti-Extortion Police: An Unholy Alliance? Wed,03/01/23-8:26AM, 3 Reads. We wouldnt recommend members of the LGBTQ+ community to visit Honduras unless theyre prepared to keep any sort of affection behind closed doors. In certain areas, yes Honduras is safe to travel for families. City busestravel around the cities and towns themselves. Women, children and the LGBTQ+ community are the ones most affected and we have seen the demand for services skyrocket, while the organizations delivering aid need increased resources to be able to staff up to meet the urgent needs, says Meg Galas, director for northern Central America at the IRC. Every dollar supports our mission. You can catch a ferry from the mainland atLa Ceibato eitherUtilaorRoatan. The island attracts a very different crowd indeed. Traveling around the country is a more complicated matter. The story 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison was published by the Associated Press on 2022-07-04 18:29:24. Almendares had repeatedly received death threats since 2017 in relation to his reporting. This rule especially goes at night. Women, children, the LGBTQ+ community, and returnees face ever growing conflict and risks, from the effects of climate change to the impacts of COVID-19 and violenceat home and on the streets.. Theres more nature here than you can shake a stick at. Honduras isnt a gay-friendly country, however, there are some movements that are going in the right direction. Hondurashas endorsed the World Health OrganizationsSolidarity Call to Action for the Covid-19 Technology Access Pool, an initiative to realize equitable global access to COVID-19 health technologies through pooling of knowledge, intellectual property and data., Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in close to 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Freedom of Expression, Association, and Assembly, Attacks on Lawyers, Human Rights Defenders, and Environmental Activists, Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Violence Against Women, Migrants, Refugees, and Internally Displaced People, Bidens Challenge: Redeeming a US Role for Human Rights, Addressing the Climate Crisis in Times of Pandemic, From Flight Logs to Homeschooling, Human Rights Watch Grapples with Covids Challenges, As Online Gender-Based Violence Booms, Governments Drag Their Feet, The Other Pandemic: Fighting Inequality as We Beat Back Covid, Poverty, Pandemic, Police Violence: Ongoing Crises Demand the US Address Pervasive Racism. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. That being said, its still one of the murder capitals in the world, so if youre an inexperienced travellers, you wont be safe. Gangs exercise territorial control over neighborhoods and extort residents throughout the country. Two private security officers were charged. Police chief Gustavo Sanchez said the decision, based on what he told journalists were good results during December, will allow continued reductions in crime and violence. So backpacking Honduras isnt always just a breeze. In February 2020, it called on El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to protect the rights of migrants and refugees to leave their country of origin, noting that asylum applications from Central America and Mexico grew 50-fold from 2012 to 2018. And Hondurascan be a safe place for solo female travelers, but wed only recommend it after some solo travel experience. In El Salvador, a Thin Line Between Community Policing and Vigilantism. Its not 100% safe in Honduras. There are alsopassenger ferriesif you want to go totheBay Islands. Its just better to have a local driver drive you around. Namely, being robbed. Im nervous, repeated a young police officer driving a pickup truck crowded with heavily armed special forces officers. STANTON COUNTY, Neb. The Inescapable Prison of Barrio 18 in Honduras, Death, Taxes, and Extortion: Why Latin American Companies Keep Paying Up, Timber Mafias - Preying on Latin Americas Forests, State and Community Responses to Extortion, A Mayor and a Wave of Narco Violence on Guatemala's Pacific, One Party, Many Crimes: The Case of Honduras National Party, Drug Trafficking and Political Protection in Paraguay: The Case of Cucho Cabaa, How Colombia Regulators Became Purveyors of Illegal Wood, The Logging Barons of Catacamas, Honduras, How Drug Cartels Moved into Illegal Logging in Mexico, Municipalities Fight Back in Guatemalas Gang-Preyed Upon Neighborhoods, How the Private Sector Helped Counter Rural Extortion in El Salvador. Overcrowding, inadequate nutrition, poor sanitation, beatings, intra-gang violence, and detainee killings are endemic in prisons. Dont expect to discover an undeveloped private island. Click here to read the full story: 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison. Between 2005 and 2019, 34 percent of women who were 20-24 years old had married when they were 15-19, the UN Population Fund reported in 2020. In addition, gang recruitment of minors has contributed to the increasing numbers of families and unaccompanied children leaving Honduras for Mexico, some planning to travel onward to the U.S.. And when it comes to the extreme violence of Honduras, thosevery highfigures come from gang violence. The code also includes poorly constructed provisions that could lead to violations of the rights to assemble and protest and an overly broad definition of association to engage in terrorism, which could be used to criminalize and disproportionately punish behaviors that fall far short of what most reasonable observers would consider terrorism. It is important to know that Utila is very much a developed backpacker hotspot. But travelers DO take these buses. HOUSTON Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston, with assistance from ERO Tegucigalpa and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force, removed Rufino Garza Monroy, a twice-deported foreign fugitive from the United States on Feb. 24. Note that they are generally safe to visit during the day (with a bit of caution obviously), especially if you have a local guide, but should be fully avoided at night. The crime rates are improving and the government is putting a lot of effort into attracting more tourists. In 2018, the last year for which statistics are available, 60 percent of perpetrators were domestic partners. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) One day after six Honduran environmental activists were convicted for alleged actions against a mining operation, the Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber unanimously sided with the defendants on two long-standing appeals and threw out their case late Thursday. This has a pretty good expat community too. Then there are quite a lot of gang wars as well. Juan Orlando Hernndez extolled his achievements as. Violence in Honduras is usually attributed to gangs and organised crime, but US federal prosecutors have implicated high-level politicians, the military and police in cocaine trafficking to the US . Youll also have to take care that your children dont stay in the sun fortoo long. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. Subscribe. February 18 2022 Receive free Honduras updates We'll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Honduras news every morning. And taxi driversprobably wont have enough change to cover a big bill, socarry small denominations. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. But traveling there is possible, of course. We are going to eradicate extortion in every corner of our country.. Gang violence and organized crime are leading causes of displacement from Honduras. How to tackle it is another issue. We are on the frontlines providing critical aid to crisis-affected people in more than 40 countries, including places on the 2022 Emergency Watchlist. REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File Photo. Crisis in Honduras: Ongoing violence and climate shocks Here are three reasons the International Rescue Committee's Emergency Watchlist ranks Honduras among 20 countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2022. The UNspecialrapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders called Honduras one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders in Latin America. There is limited data on the effectiveness of the program in Honduras. There are taxi ranks in a lot of locations. So when it comes to safetyin Honduras, we think youllgenerallybe fine, especially in the Bay Islands. In January 2020, the OHCHR released a report saying that the armed forces and military police had used excessiveeven lethalforce in response to the protests that followed the 2017 election. Most who can access the internet do so on their phones. A Honduran woman and her children manage to cross the remnants of a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Iota. San Pedro Sula is the most dangerous city, not just in Honduras, but in the whole world. The mission in early December was ostensibly to raid a casa loca, an abandoned home used by gang members. The data was compiled by Citizen Council for Public Security, Justice, and Peace, a Mexican. Whether thats with friends and family back home, or with accommodation staff, or both. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2018 was 38.93, a 5.01% decline from 2017. That means suncream, sun-hats, and limiting time in the sun. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. International Rescue Committee is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Classes were broadcast on television, radio, and online, in some cases with assignments sent via Whatsapp. Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. Again, thank you! Category 5 hurricanes Eta and Iota hit Honduras in November 2020 and have had enduring impacts on farmersand the public generallyby destroying subsistence farms, killing livestock by the hundreds of thousands and reducing agricultural production. Honduran soldiers wearing facemasks guard the entrance to the city of San Pedro Sula during the coronavirus crisis on April 17, 2020. Pastor Daniel Pacheco told Los Angeles Times reporter Kate Linthicum, "I can ask them to leave the gang, but I don't have anything else to offer them. In 2018, the government created a special force to fight gangs (Fuerza Nacional Anti Maras y pandillas). But you wont be (in a Honduran gang, that is). FILE PHOTO: A member of Honduras' DIPAMPCO (Police Anti Maras and Gangs Against Organised Crime Directorate) stands guard as other DIPAMPCO members frisk people while doing rounds in a low-income neighbourhood, after President Xiomara Castro declared a national security emergency implementing a new plan to combat a rising number of cases of extortion by violent criminal groups operating across the country, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras November 26, 2022. In June 2020, a new criminal code came into effect. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Biodiversity is a huge part of Honduras. With all the threats of violence, theres alow number of tourists, so oddly you can really have anauthentic experiencehere while getting to know Honduran women, too. But if the peace in the condemning nations were to rupture the way it has in El Salvador and Honduras, we can bet they . A 25-year-old migrant who posed as a minor to illegally cross the border was sentenced to 60 years for killing the father of four who took him in. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we dont believe are up to scratch. January 26, 2022 At a glance Population: 10.1 million 2.8 million people in need of humanitarian aid Share this via Telegram Since 2020, the number of Hondurans in need of humanitarian assistance has more than doubled, while food insecurity has increased due to consecutive climate shocks, rising food prices and the economic impacts of COVID-19. 20 Top Safety Tips for Traveling to Honduras. Transgender woman activist killed in Honduras The Covid-19 pandemic has further limited access to education for many children. But if youre thinking about it, here are some tips. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to two main gangs : Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18. But nongovernmental organizations have tallied several thousand human rights violations and at least 80 in-custody deaths of people arrested during the state of exception. But if you meet the local ladies andlearn about their livesyoure going to have a VERY enriching experience on your hands. La Ceibaon the northern coast, with mountains, jungles, and beaches, is a chilled and adventurous area to explore. Her words echo those of Bukele, who has railed against human rights groups, government watchdogs and journalists who have questioned his tactics, saying that they are on the side of the gangs. All rights reserved. And for transparencys sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. Wed say only experienced, intrepid travelers should tackle this one alone. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. Of course, you can book a local tour that can look after your safety during your trip, but make sure your research leaves you feeling absolutely confident in the reliability of the tour you choose. If you are a keen diver, Roatan is well worth a visit. The US is losing allies in Latin America just as production of cocaine, fentanyl, and other synthetic drugs is going through the roof. Investigations were underway at time of writing. The criminal justice system regularly fails to hold those responsible for homicides to account. Womenand girls who terminate pregnancies face prison sentences of up to six years. Hondurans are warm and welcoming people whohave to live day in, day out with the violence in their country. That measure has proved popular among the public in El Salvador, and has resulted in the arrest of more than 56,000 people for alleged gang ties. They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. So, yeah. Those who work in the transportation sector (taxi and bus drivers) are notable targets of gangs, but many are unable to flee for fear of retaliatory violence against themselves and their . As of August, prisons had reported 1,700 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths. But this article is written for savvy travellers from the perspective of savvy travellers. The coastline of Cedeno, a fishing village in southern Honduras, looks like it was hit by an earthquake - houses, businesses and clubs stand in ruins. Enjoy your travels! To Desafio, the Barrio 18 gang in Honduras was everything.

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