With all of its branches of government and its armed forces plagued by corruption, Honduras has evolved into a transit nation in which criminal groups, protected by the political system, have developed the capacity to produce cocaine hydrochloride in local laboratories. 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. 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. This has a pretty good expat community too. The inauguration of Xiomara Castro, elected Hondurass first female president, is scheduled for January 27 with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris, King Felipe VI of Spain and other world leaders slated to attend. These drug trafficking gangs rule peoples lives. These. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. In April, the office expressed concern regarding accusations of excesive use of force by state security agents enforcing the governments Covid-19 restrictions. A . Were not going to say its thesafest place to travel,nor is it going to be the easiestplace to travel as a solo female. Since June, 2021 the United States has shared 6,088,590 safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses with the people of Honduras - free of cost. Feb. 21, 2023, at 6:11 p.m. Honduras Extends, Expands State of Emergency for Second Time. Theyre old U.S. school buses that are poorly maintained,andovercrowded. We do our best to advise but this info may already be out of date. It is not just murder, it's also the shocking numbers of rape, assault, and domestic violence cases, happening with near-total impunity. Here are three reasons the International Rescue Committees Emergency Watchlist ranks Honduras among 20 countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2022. Youll get the, If youve got no locals to ask, just use your eyes. Public buildings, transportation, and information and communication services open to the public are not fully accessible to people with disabilities. Whilst many people DO live here, it doesnt mean Honduras is safe to live. More information. Many women are choosing to flee the violence in their communities. Violence has long ruled here. 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. Honduras major drug trafficking groups like the Cachiros and the Valles have largely been dismantled with the arrest and extradition of top leaders, but vestiges of these clans continue to operate. The IRC is calling for stronger international cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis that displaces hundreds of thousands from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala every year. Schools were closed from March onward due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A woman is killed every 23 hours on average, the National Autonomous University of Honduras Violence Observatory reports. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. Look and see where locals are eating. Simple as that. Gangs kill, disappear, rape, or displace those who resist. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. It submitted the case to the court in April 2019 due to Honduras lack of compliance with its recommendations, such as introducing comprehensive policies to map and prevent anti-LGBT violence and designing training programs on anti-LGBT violence for state security bodies. The U.S. government estimates that approximately 4% of all cocaine shipments from South America passed through Honduras by air or sea in 2019 of cocaine, equivalent to a U.S. street value of over $11.5 billion at current rates. In January 2020, the government shut down the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). But if you meet the local ladies andlearn about their livesyoure going to have a VERY enriching experience on your hands. Thats why weve listed and answered the most frequently asked questions on safety in Honduras. While Honduras is not seeing the political armed conflict common in most Watchlist countries this year, criminal gang violence is widespread. Sign up for our newsletter and get the best travel tips delivered right to your inbox. Dont expect to discover an undeveloped private island. For example, theBay Islandsaresaferthan the mainland. 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. Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Members of the military police of public order get ready during a special operation in Tegucigalpa on 6 December. Prisons saw significant Covid-19 outbreaks. Make sure to check the reviews from previous travellers to check for any problems during their stay. It can be a super enriching experience. According to a State Department report last year, there are up to 10,000 gang members in Honduras, a country with roughly 8 million people. Honduras isnt different from lots of other great backpacking countries in that youre never absolutely safe from food-borne illness. Marvin Damin Castro Molina, who, as part of the Coordination of the Southern Social Environmental Movement for Life, fought mining, agro-industry, and hydroelectric projects, was abducted and found dead in Choluteca in July 2020. Gangs exercise territorial control over neighborhoods and extort residents throughout the country. Honduras. Honduran women face daily struggles. Abuses by security forces, including alleged collusion with criminal organizations, and weak state institutions, have contributed to the persistence of gang violence. Please donate. Although there is a law that provides higher penalties for bias-based crimes, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, the Attorney Generals office told Human Rights Watch in September 2020 that no one has been convicted under the law. Theyre run by private companies, obviously, and aremore expensivethan public buses. The state of emergency, in place More than half of detained men and two-thirds of detained women were in pretrial detention. We hope these measures work and remain in place.. To Desafio, the Barrio 18 gang in Honduras was everything. Two private security officers were charged. You basically pay for safety, but better safe than sorry wed say. This should not distract, however, from the fact that there are life-threatening problems that residents of Honduras struggle with daily. Women, children and the LGBTQ+ community are the ones most affected and we have seen the demand for services skyrocket It is essential to address the root causes of forced migration, a strategy that the current U.S. administration is adopting. He estimated the companies and drivers have paid an average of about $10 million per month to the gangs in order to operate. Enjoy your travels! Since 2010, 42. Shootings are very common in poorer areas too. 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 face violence from gangs, the national civil police and the military police, members of the public, and their own families, as well as extortion by gangs and discrimination in schools and in the workplace. 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. Chances are it wasnt cooked with too much care. Overcrowding, inadequate nutrition, poor sanitation, beatings, intra-gang violence, and detainee killings are endemic in prisons. Youll be able to travel around here with relative ease. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. El Salvador and Honduras have been condemned by the "civilized" world. Gangs control areas within the same communities,. 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 . But the thing iswomen DO travel alone to Honduras. Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency against gang crimes like extortion. Extortions generate annual profits of up to $737 million for gangs, nearly 3% of the country's gross domestic product, according to data from Association for a More Just Society, a security-focused non-governmental organization. Journalists, environmental activists, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). One good thing I can say about Roatan is that the dive sites are excellent around the island. There is no such thing as a perfect safety guide, and this article is no different. There is an expat community inTrujillo. There are 37 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, and all 18 provinces are. Members of the military police of public order patrol a street during a special operation against criminal gangs in Tegucigalpa on 6 December. I believe that [Bukeles] leadership is increasing, because the tendency of the Bukele government is to become Central American, and to exercise leadership in all of Central America, said Moreno. Honduras isnt a gay-friendly country, however, there are some movements that are going in the right direction. And taxi driversprobably wont have enough change to cover a big bill, socarry small denominations. If you use our guide, do your own research, and practise common sense, you will have a safe trip to Honduras. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most-watched television news channel for 18 consecutive years. Despite some similarities, the security situation in El Salvador is different from Honduras, which has a much larger territory, higher population, greater poverty and a more diverse set of criminal groups. The Covid-19 pandemic has further limited access to education for many children. The flavors, spices and. One example:tajadas(fried plantains, topped with cabbage and served with ground beef). Hondurans are warm and welcoming people whohave to live day in, day out with the violence in their country. Thats mainly to visit islands like Roatan. REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File Photo. Honduras is one of the murder capitals of the world. Not really. A study published in April reported that nearly half of teachers in rural areas had not been able to contact the majority of their students. This is when things can get sketchy. generally, if youre visiting with a guided tour, you should be fine. The measure must still be approved by Congress. These are the safest islands: Once you get off the ferry in Utila you have officially entered an alternate reality. As the camera rolled, the police began stopping vehicles passing by in the background, running ID cards and frisking occupants. The law also sanctions abortion providers. As VP Kamala Harris prepares to visit #Honduras for the presidential inauguration, we call for international cooperation and funding to respond to the humanitarian crisis displacing thousands in the country. Use these tips to reduce the risk, but we also recommend that you pack some medication fit for a bad stomach. Security forces committed abuses while enforcing a nationwide Covid-19 lockdown that President Juan Orlando Hernndez imposed in March. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. And this area is great for children. We also provide critical, up-to-date information and support from trained moderators through CuntaNos, a digital platform that is part of the Global Signpost project. Other ways to share In 2018, the government created a special force to fight gangs (Fuerza Nacional Anti Maras y pandillas). It included provisions that appeared aimed at reducing penalties for politicians linked to organized crime, by lowering sentences for corruption and related offenses. Of course, being a woman anywhere is going to come with additional risk. If youdo get one in the street, ensure that you tell the taxi driver that you dont want to share the taxi. The MS13 and Barrio 18 street gangs control urban neighborhoods in the countrys two major cities Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula and rural towns close to the border with El Salvador. Honduras hasn't specified exactly what the state of emergency would entail, but normally such measures temporarily suspend normal rules regulating arrests and searches; sometime limits on freedom of speech and assembly are implemented as well. Extortion and Sexual Violence: Womens Unspoken Suffering, Loan Sharking Grows in Costa Rica by Piggybacking on Drug Trafficking, Extortion of Guatemalas Red Buses: Where Gang and Elite Criminal Interests Meet, The Lucky Kingpin: How Chepe Diablo Has (So Far) Ridiculed Justice, Guatemala's Mafia State and the Case of Mauricio Lpez Bonilla, University Deans and Guatemalas Convoluted Road to a New Attorney General, GameChangers 2022: Drug Bonanza Amid Prohibition Challenges in 2023, Honduras' State of Exception May Set Worrying Precedent, Why Money Launderers in Honduras May Be Getting Away With It, Military Arsenals Provide Convenient Source of Weapons for Latin American Gangs, Extortion in Northern Triangle Worth Over $1 Billion Annually: Report, Latin American Leaders Voice Security Concerns At United Nations General Assembly. But if the peace in the condemning nations were to rupture the way it has in El Salvador and Honduras, we can bet they . In November 2020, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard the case of Vicky Hernndez, a trans woman allegedly extrajudicially executed in 2009. We get it. Honduras deploys soldiers on anti-crime patrols - 1 hr 50 mins ago TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - The Honduran government has deployed soldiers to perform anti-crime patrols in some of the Central American country's most violent cities, following the massacre of 18 people in a shoe factory this week. January 26, 2022 At a glance Population: 10.1 million 2.8 million people in need of humanitarian aid But if youre thinking about it, here are some tips. Prolonged droughts have undermined food production, while in October 2021 a wildfire in the Guanaja region affected thousands. We are on the frontlines providing critical aid to crisis-affected people in more than 40 countries, including places on the 2022 Emergency Watchlist. People do it. The UNspecialrapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders called Honduras one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders in Latin America. In Honduras, one of the most violent countries in the world, 60 percent of deaths are attributed to organized crime. It also documented widespread mistreatment of people detained and arrested during the protests. If we didnt have Bukeles example, we could probably look for some control and security responses based on strengthening institutions.. Seeing the world without anyone to answer to, getting to challenge yourself andgrow as a person. Most who can access the internet do so on their phones. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. There is no exact number of the exodus, but according to the United States Customs and Border Protection Service, in 2020, they arrested 40,091 Hondurans, who were trying to enter the United States irregularly and until September 2021, this amount increased to 98,554 Honduran arrests, more than double the previous year. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to twomain gangs:Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) andBarrio 18. Historically, governments have responded with iron-fist security strategies to combat organized crime, enacting tougher legislation and increasing police presence and mass detentions. Often, people with disabilities are threatened and subjected to extortion by criminal gangs. According to the U.N., Honduras has the highest femicide rate in the world. International Rescue Committee is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Its prettyextreme. After a 2019 wave of gang violence that killed 37 detainees, President Hernndez declared a state of emergency and put prisons under military control. A local TV correspondent needed to do a live shot for one of the countrys most-watched news programs. At the same time, we need to acknowledge that it will take time for systems to change, but families across Honduras cannot waitthey have immediate needs to be safe and secure. 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. It suspends some Constitutional rights and gives police more powers to arrest and hold suspects. People here live in pretty supreme poverty 60%of the population living in poverty really isa lot of people. Take theBay Islands,for example. In 2013, Honduras reformed the penal code to recognize femicide as a crime. ThisCentral Americancountry suffers from what many countries in the region have suffered from or are currently battling with namely corruption, gangs,anddrugs. Theres a huge problem with single-use plastics in the Earths water and you dont have any assurance whatsoever that your bottles will be properly disposed of, even if youre careful to sort them in the proper bin. Violence against LGBT individuals forces many to leave their homes, fleeing internally or leaving the country to seek asylum. The data was compiled by Citizen Council for Public Security, Justice, and Peace, a Mexican. Half of underage pregnancies result from rape. There are an estimated 115,000 gang members. Dont hitchhike ortake lifts from strangers , Other ways to meet fellow travelers and. Here is available the most popular Honduras Newspapers list. Patrick said the inmates were captured about 7:45 AM in downtown Newton. Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox. https://t.co/xQGbbyZXXv. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2018 was 38.93, a 5.01% decline from 2017. In June, police detained and beat bus drivers who were allegedly protesting not being able to work due to lockdown restrictions. Honduras is one of the most important drug trafficking operation centers between South America and Mexico. Many Hondurans dont have access toclean waterandmedical care. Im nervous, repeated a young police officer driving a pickup truck crowded with heavily armed special forces officers. Close, Is Honduras Safe for Travel? I agree with Bukele and I want the same here. In 2018, the last year for which statistics are available, 60 percent of perpetrators were domestic partners. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. In 2014, the United Nations reported that 95 percent of cases of sexual violence and femicide in Honduras were never even investigated. Officials were called out to the main Wood Duck Recreation Area at around 4 p.m. on Tuesday to investigate a suspicious vehicle, a ccording to a release from the Sheriff's Office. Because of human rights, crime has gone on so long, because human rights defend the criminal, and it shouldnt be like that, she said. Wed,03/01/23-8:26AM, 3 Reads. We are going to eradicate extortion in every corner of our country.. Honduran soldiers wearing facemasks guard the entrance to the city of San Pedro Sula during the coronavirus crisis on April 17, 2020. There is only anecdotal evidence of the scale of the problem because so few extortion victims report the crime, making a statistical analysis impossible. Its a mix of European, indigenous and Caribbean influence, and youll love it. This includes 2,838,450 Pfizer doses and 3,250,140 Moderna doses. Honduras may have one of the highest murder rates in the world, and as a solo female traveler, that doesnt sound very inviting as a destination. On theCaribbean coast, there are plenty of delicious dishes to sample, with tortillasand things likerefried beansserved up with every meal. Its not very safe to drive in Honduras. Support focuses primarily on reintegration into the labor market, rather than assistance for people who fled seeking international protection. Then there are quite a lot of gang wars as well. In certain areas, yes Honduras is safe to travel for families. The US is losing allies in Latin America just as production of cocaine, fentanyl, and other synthetic drugs is going through the roof. Every year, more than 100,000 Hondurans are internally displaced, migrate, seek protection abroad, or are deported back to Honduras. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. 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. In neighboring El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele requested Congress grant him extraordinary powers after gangs were blamed for 62 killings on March 26, and that emergency decree has been renewed every month since then. Sexual violence and oppression are frequent tragedies here. Honduran people are friendly and welcoming. Honduras isnt perfectly safe for tourists, but that doesnt mean that you can travel there or have a good time. This helps keep everyone in poverty. Get your accommodation to either recommenda good company or just book one for you. Honduras and theUS signed anasylum cooperative agreement in 2019, whereby Honduras agreed to receivenon-Honduran asylum-seekerstransferred by the US. But Honduras is far from Eden. As of September 2020, the US had yet to begin deporting any third country nationals to Honduras under the agreement. It is important to know that Utila is very much a developed backpacker hotspot. By 2020 they want an additional milliontourists annually. Thepublic busesconsist ofthe good oldchicken bus. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In June 2020, a new criminal code came into effect. As expected, the video went viral and the local newspapers made sure they put this trusted news source on their front page. The inmates, all from Honduras, had reportedly escaped custody yesterday in Scott County. Read about how e-Sims work or click below to see one of the top eSIM providers on the market andditch the plastic. Our work is costly and high risk. 18th Street, also known as Calle 18, Barrio 18, Mara 18, or simply La 18 in Central America, is a multi-ethnic (largely Central American and Mexican) transnational criminal organization that started as a street gang in Los Angeles.It is one of the largest transnational criminal gangs in Los Angeles, with 65,000 members between the United States, Mexico, and Central America and is also allied . October 4, 2021 The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras is pleased to announce a donation from the government of the United States of 250,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to the people of Honduras. Nearly 3.3 million people, or one in three Hondurans, were experiencing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by late 2021. Honduras may sound scary, but if you take into account the advice of locals, plan ahead, and use your common sense,Honduras will open up to you as a solo female traveler. The effort comes amid complaints by business owners, the transportation sector and ordinary Hondurans that extortion by criminals has risen in recent months. Many people do travel to this particular part of Honduras,even with their families. Its not a good idea to go out to bars and clubs by yourself. Otherwise, thanks for your ear and stay safe! Read on for more detailed information on how to have a safe trip to Honduras. The country has the second-highest rate of femicidedefined as the killing of a woman by a man because of her genderin Latin America, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean reports. So backpacking Honduras isnt always just a breeze. On 24 November, Hondurass leftwing president, Xiomara Castro, declared war on extortion a very real problem that causes economic stagnation, fuels violence and forces countless Hondurans to flee the country. In fact, according toInSight Crime there has definitely been around a 26% drop in crime since 2016. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Biodiversity is a huge part of Honduras. The question of Is Honduras Safe? will ALWAYS have a different answer depending on the parties involved. Especiallythrough a tour company. Chatting to them means getting first-hand knowledge, and means your experience is going to be a lot richer. You can definitely push your luck by staying in the wrong neighborhood as well. A quarter of women and girls become pregnant before turning 18the second-highest rate in Latin America. Juan Orlando Hernndez extolled his achievements as. 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. Gangs, particularly the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and the 18th Street Gang (Barrio 18), are considered to be largely responsible for Honduras murder rate, and are infamous for extortion and drug peddling. Click here to read the full story: 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison. Your little ones get to see the Mesoamerican Reef,thesecond largest barrier reef in the world. The measure, part of leftist President Xiomara Castro's crackdown on gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18, suspends some constitutional rights and allows security forces to detain people who they consider associated with or have committed crimes. A Honduran woman and her children manage to cross the remnants of a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Iota. There are quite a few cute Airbnbs in Honduras, and as long as you stay in one of the safer neighborhoods, wed say that renting an Airbnb is perfectly safe. While homicide rates have dropped in recent years, Honduras is still the most dangerous country in the region, with 38 homicides per 100,000 people. Weve covered the main safety concerns already, but there are a few more things to know. Chances are, if you are arriving via a cruise ship, you will be safe. document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The government of Honduras is committed to attracting more tourists. Youre connected. The new code also includes alternatives to detention for low-level crimes, including partial prison sentences and penalties that allow for conditional release. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. The mission in early December was ostensibly to raid a casa loca, an abandoned home used by gang members. STANTON COUNTY, Neb. Its better for the environment and ends up being more economical in the long run. SafetyWing is convenient, cheap, and trouble-free Insurance was never this easy! His security-at-all costs approach, and the reductions in violence and crime that have come with it, have found a captive audience in Honduras, but caused consternation among civil society, and closed down discussion of other options.

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