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The new criminal code that came into effect in June 2020 includes new alternative sanctions to detention for some minor crimes that could help reduce the prison population. We are on the frontlines providing critical aid to crisis-affected people in more than 40 countries, including places on the 2022 Emergency Watchlist. Then there are quite a lot of gang wars as well. We can't put up any longer with workers being killed and paying extortion, Lanza said. Honduras is exposed to other climate shocks as well. It was focused on the security, or lack of security in Honduras. Since 2010, 42. Corruption, crime, and gang activity inhibits the ability to conduct business activities freely and dissuades entrepreneurs from establishing new businesses. An audit of government purchases of medical supplies to fight Covid-19 revealed supplies worth tens of millions of dollars had gone missing. So far, the state of exception in Honduras has produced some arrests and forced the gangs and other criminal groups to keep a lower profile. In 2014, the United Nations reported that 95 percent of cases of sexual violence and femicide in Honduras were never even investigated. These are pretty safe. Traveling here is definitely adventurous, but that doesnt mean its off-limits for solo travelers. The mission in early December was ostensibly to raid a casa loca, an abandoned home used by gang members. You should ask locals on the best routes to take to any given place. Drug trafficking gangs, corruption, and extreme poverty keep Honduras down. And were not going to lie,Honduras doesnt exactly lend itself to solo travel. And Honduras has been struggling to build representative democracy, to fight corruption and crime. 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. This new donation is in addition to the 81,900 doses of Pfizer . Wed classify it as generally hazardous. Gender-based violence in Honduras is also among the highest in the region and has increased during the pandemic. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2017 was 40.98, a 26.23% decline from 2016. Honduras newspaper, TV channel news, online portal news, and magazine sites are getting popularity day by day around the world. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most-watched television news channel for 18 consecutive years. 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. Its also a nice place since the ferry toUtilaruns from here, making it easy to escape to the tropical paradise of theBay Islandswhenever you feel like it. A large chunk of thosearrived via cruise ships, however. 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. Late Thursday, Nov. 24, Castro proposed a measure to limit constitutional rights so as to round up gang members. Suddenly you find yourself surrounded by backpackers, dive shops, hostels, burger shacks, smoothie stands, and pirate bars. All of these are in Santa Barbara Department, which also sees hijackings aroundTela, La Ceiba, andEl Progresoas well asTrujillo. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. Subscribe. Im nervous, repeated a young police officer driving a pickup truck crowded with heavily armed special forces officers. However, if you decide to travel independently, youll face quite a few challenges. 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. For now, there are 15,000 taxis who want your attention. Disclaimer: Safety conditions change all over the world on a daily basis. Established in 2016 by the government and the Organization of American States (OAS), theMACCIHcontributed to the prosecution of 133 people, including congresspeople and senior officials, 14 of whom faced criminal trials. 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. Extortion in the Northern Triangle is predominantly done from prisons, yet prison populations have been on the rise. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. Just in case, thats No quiero compartir el taxi.. Its not very safe to drive in Honduras. Youll need to be a confident traveler. Violent crime is at its peak in Honduras. Dont drink the water without treating, and steer clear of ice cubes,too. Namely, being robbed. Honduras, in general, is open and welcoming to children. Gangs attacking other gangs. You basically pay for safety, but better safe than sorry wed say. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Sexual violence and oppression are frequent tragedies here. In terms of murder rate, it's the second most violent country in Central or South America, trailing only Venezuela. 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. Sat Navs might not always tell you the best route. By MARLON GONZLEZ November 25, 2022. 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. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. However, More than2 million touristsvisited in 2017. This is apretty safe area to visit. Rights activists say young men are frequently arrested just based on their age, appearance or whether they live in a gang-dominated slum. We get it. The storms, among other shocks, led to higher levels of food scarcity while weakening the states capacity to cope with displacement. Its just that easy. An illegal immigrant from Honduras was sentenced to 60 years in prison Friday for the killing of a Florida man in Jacksonville in 2021, prosecutors said. Garza is wanted in Honduras for homicide. Women in Guatemala: The New Faces of Extortion? Gangs exercise territorial control over neighborhoods and extort residents throughout the country. The vaccine doses arrived in the Honduran capital on October 4 2021. 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. At nighttime, you should really get a taxi. The Supreme Court had upheld Romeros 10-year sentencein January 2020. They practice war taxing, which is essentially just demanding money from people. But Honduras is far from Eden. Share this via Twitter Its a country with a big heart. Most who can access the internet do so on their phones. Wed,03/01/23-8:24AM, 1,088 Reads 16,082 Statewide. At the same time, traveling alone can be stressful, boring, lonely, anddangerous in varying quantities. For your trip to Honduras, our handy guide has you covered. Share this via Email 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. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to two main gangs : Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18. That said, the development that has taken place has not totally sucked the island dry of its charm. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Earlier this year, Honduras appeared set to follow an example set by another neighbor, Nicaragua, whose community-based policing approach was for years hailed for maintaining exceptionally low crime rates and minimal gang presence until the government turned the police into a repressive force against the people amid widespread protests in 2018. Iris Argentina lvarez of the Cerro Escondido peasant cooperative, which has been working to recover land currently owned by a sugar company, was killed and three people were injured during a violent and allegedly illegal eviction in Choluteca in April 2020. Lanza said drivers had been asking for a crackdown for years. It is important to know that Utila is very much a developed backpacker hotspot. In October, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), of which Cceres was president, complained of continued delays and a lack of transparency in the case. In March 2020, the government declared a state of emergency in response to the pandemic, imposing a lockdown and restricting movement and freedom of expression. It was a show: a show of force following the example set by the hardline policies of neighbouring El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele has led a controversial crackdown on gangs that has led to the detention of more than 2% of its adult population. Shootings are very common in poorer areas too. So backpacking Honduras isnt always just a breeze. A . This has a pretty good expat community too. Sign in How Gangs Control Honduras VICE News 8.42M subscribers. Travel smart and make sure your safety and security is your number one priority. Xiomara Castros crackdown on gangs is also an attempt to counter allegations the government hasnt done enough to combat crime. Theres a lot to learn about Honduras that goes beyond gangs and beaches. SafetyWing is convenient, cheap, and trouble-free Insurance was never this easy! As of August, prisons had reported 1,700 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths. Heres how to not get ill whilst trying local delights. 2023, The Broke Backpacker. 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. There are an estimated 115,000 gang members. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. Dont put yourself through that stress. Honduras isnt perfectly safe for tourists, but that doesnt mean that you can travel there or have a good time. And what you had, you know, after the coup, while the U.S. did cut assistance, it was very. 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. Traveling around the country is a more complicated matter. There is only anecdotal evidence of the scale of the problem because so few extortion victims report the crime, making a statistical analysis impossible. We strive to provide the most relevant travel information on the web and always appreciate input from our readers (nicely, please!). Support focuses primarily on reintegration into the labor market, rather than assistance for people who fled seeking international protection. For example, theBay Islandsaresaferthan the mainland. Enjoy your travels! Some are deprived of full legal capacity and are institutionalized in different settings, including psychiatric hospitals. 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. Reconsider travel to Honduras due to crime. Dont expect to discover an undeveloped private island. Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution and Travel Advisories. This helps keep everyone in poverty. ThisCentral Americancountry suffers from what many countries in the region have suffered from or are currently battling with namely corruption, gangs,anddrugs. Also in February, the OAS special rapporteur on freedom of expression called on Honduras to decriminalize defamation and to properly investigate killings of journalists. And theyre generally safe. In December 2018, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found Honduras responsible for failing to investigate Hernndezs death. Dont eat at tourist traps. Honduran soldiers wearing facemasks guard the entrance to the city of San Pedro Sula during the coronavirus crisis on April 17, 2020. Schools were closed from March onward due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Radio taxisare always a better option than hailing one off the street. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time can seriously get you in trouble. 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. Corruption, poor governance, and. The Gordon Ramsay Honduras Video Just last week the BBC affiliated chef published a video of Honduras. This is when things can get sketchy. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Thats mainly to visit islands like Roatan. The likelihood of you getting caught up in all that relies very much on you being somehow related to one of the gangs. Sign up for our newsletter and get the best travel tips delivered right to your inbox. CNN Juan Orlando Hernndez, the former president of Honduras, appeared virtually for his initial US court appearance Friday on federal drug trafficking and firearms possession charges.. From 2011 to 2017, the number of killings in Honduras actually dropped, from 87 per 100,000 to 44. So long as violence in Honduras continues without impunity, major displacement will persist in 2022. 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. Dont hitchhike ortake lifts from strangers , Other ways to meet fellow travelers and. That means suncream, sun-hats, and limiting time in the sun. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. Poor health infrastructure and limited access to sanitation services has contributed to the spread of the virus. If a restaurant or eatery of any sort looks busy, thats probably because its good, both in terms of taste and. Honduras declared a state of exception as extortion cases rise, suspending constitutional rights in cities and deploying thousands of troops. How to tackle it is another issue. There are some safety pointsthat travelers should know for anywhere they travel, but Honduras requires these special considerations. Our work is costly and high risk. ; Children and Adolescents - Honduras has the highest youth homicide rate in the world. In the streets where insecurity lurks around each corner, many ordinary Hondurans want to see extreme measures human rights be damned and believe that anything short of that is not enough. Otherwise, thanks for your ear and stay safe! A Honduran woman and her children manage to cross the remnants of a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Iota. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. Here are three reasons the International Rescue Committees Emergency Watchlist ranks Honduras among 20 countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2022. Get your accommodation to either recommenda good company or just book one for you. The data was compiled by Citizen Council for Public Security, Justice, and Peace, a Mexican. This includes 2,838,450 Pfizer doses and 3,250,140 Moderna doses. The Supreme Court, particularly its president, exerts excessive control over the appointment and removal of judges, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported in 2019, and career instability limits judges independence. If we didnt have Bukeles example, we could probably look for some control and security responses based on strengthening institutions.. The new code also includes alternatives to detention for low-level crimes, including partial prison sentences and penalties that allow for conditional release. Security Minister Oscar Alvarez says police have identified two suspects among the five attackers . Theyre run by private companies, obviously, and aremore expensivethan public buses. 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. Corruption, fear of retribution, and limited access to essential health services . crime Mayor and Retired Honduras National Police Sub-Commissioner Arrested for Organized Crime Involvement By Hector Martinez on February 24, 2016 crime, extortion, gangs, mara, MaraSalvatrucha, ms13, MS18, murder, narcotics, OrganizedCrime, salvatrucha General Honduras News, Headline News TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Theyve been doing it since 2002 protecting, connecting, and inspiring independent travellers just like you. San Pedro Sula, Honduras, has been given the unfortunate title of the most dangerous city in the world. 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. Journalists, environmental activists, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. Classes were broadcast on television, radio, and online, in some cases with assignments sent via Whatsapp. These are the safest islands: Once you get off the ferry in Utila you have officially entered an alternate reality. 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. 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. But its clear that extortion is occurring in areas where it didnt in the past, and there is no disagreement, among experts or others, on the gravity of the problem. Honduras partially suspends constitutional rights to tackle gangs, Its a war on the people: El Salvadors mass arrests send thousands into despair, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Members include officers from the police, the military, and the Attorneys General Office. They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. The law also sanctions abortion providers. Make sure to check the reviews from previous travellers to check for any problems during their stay. 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. Trump, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, announced a slate of futuristic new policies in a campaign video Friday. Yery Noel Medina Ulloa of Honduras pleaded guilty . 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. Hardline policies, meanwhile, are popular because people think that theyre going to work but inevitably the track record is that they havent, said Malone. led to the detention of more than 2% of its adult population. But if youre thinking about it, here are some tips. Close to 1 million migrants fled Honduras for the U.S. border over the eight-year tenure of former President Juan Orlando Hernndez, now facing drug trafficking charges after being arrested. Lanza said that 50 drivers have been killed so far in 2022, and a total of 2,500 have been killed over the last 15 years. People live here with children, by themselves, as couples, some retire here, and some people have even started up their own hostelsor otherbusinesses. Honduras isnt a gay-friendly country, however, there are some movements that are going in the right direction. Patrick said the inmates were captured about 7:45 AM in downtown Newton. Many people do travel to this particular part of Honduras,even with their families. Until his life grew increasingly violent. Chances are, if you are arriving via a cruise ship, you will be safe. It provided a family, a sense of belonging. This is an issue that has not been taken seriously by the Honduran state.. Honduras isnt exactly what wed callsafe. 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. In January 2020, the government shut down the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). You can catch a ferry from the mainland atLa Ceibato eitherUtilaorRoatan. City busestravel around the cities and towns themselves. Juan Aguilar, 41, and his wife, Margaret Wilson, 39, both of San Leandro, face charges of kidnapping to commit a sex crime, human trafficking of a minor, forcible rape, and forcible oral copulation. In fact, according toInSight Crime there has definitely been around a 26% drop in crime since 2016. The Bay Islands are the only palace in Honduras that can (kind of) be considered somewhat safe. Excessive use of force by police and deployment of the military in public security operations continued in 2020. Lots of travelers stick to bottled water,but please dont. 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. And if youre visiting as part of a tour, then youre likely to stay safe. Utila is unlike the rest of mainland Honduras in just about every way. This rule especially goes at night. Activistssaythegovernments Mechanism for the Protection of Journalists, Human Rights Defenders and Operators of Justice, created in 2015, lacks uniform criteria and is ineffective. The groups most likely to be internally displaced or leave the country are children subjected to forced gang recruitment, professionals and business owners who face extortion, domestic violence survivors, and LGBT people and members of ethnic minorities who face violence and discrimination. Here's a list of 14: 1. 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.. A law prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting childrentook effect in 2019. You will have to agree on a pricebefore you get in. 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. REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File PhotoReuters.