Honduran law allowed foreign victims to receive temporary or permanent residency status, including authorization to work, though the government did not identify any foreign victims in 2020. As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Honduras, and traffickers exploit victims from Honduras abroad. U.S. citizens are primarily the victims of opportunistic crime. Honduras decided in late 2018, based on reciprocity, to institute the same reporting requirement. These penalties were sufficiently stringent. The law on safe houses, which has been stalled in the National Congress since 2018, aims to recognize and fund safe houses to provide care for survivors of multiple forms of violence, ensuring their wellbeing and that of their families. Individuals should also limit the sharing of personal information and closely screen personal employees. Roads have poor lighting and markings. Roatn and the Bay Islands are geographically separate from the mainland and experience lower crime rates even when compared with other Caribbean islands. U.S. citizens are encouraged to be vigilant of their surroundings at all times, especially when entering or exiting their homes, cars, garages, schools, and workplaces. Honduras is one of the murder capitals of the world. The government provided 31 victims with witness protection services including measures to protect their identity; shelter; and economic, medical and psychosocial assistance. It is urgent to pass the law on safe houses where women who manage to get away from violent situations are taken care of. 1. . January 26, 2022 At a glance Population: 10.1 million 2.8 million people in need of humanitarian aid In past years, several U.S. citizens have been murdered in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba shortly after arriving in the country. Honduras removed the offense of sex tourism from its amended penal code, and the government did not investigate or prosecute any suspected trafficking cases in the tourism sector. Credit card skimming is common. The following diseases are prevalent in Honduras: Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, Malaria, and Zika. Crime in Honduras in 2012, according to the U.N., Honduras experienced. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. The campaign includes a docuseries in which the testimonies of women survivors, like Rosa Mara, are central to raise awareness among the Honduran population on zero tolerance of all forms ofviolenceagainstwomenand girls. Goals we are supporting through this initiative, UNSDG Chair's report on the Office for Development Coordination, UN agencies launch emergency response after devastating Trkiye and Syria quakes, Strengthening mental health services in the Pacific during COVID-19 and beyond, A good dose of hope: Data innovation helps Indonesia ramp up COVID-19 vaccination drive, Leaving no smallholder farmer or micro entrepreneur behind: Cell phones come to the rescue and boost jobs in post-COVID Benin, UN deputy chief urges Resident Coordinators in Africa to maximize their convening power to rescue the SDGs, Updates #50 from the UN country teams: Supporting the worldwide response to COVID-19 and accelerating progress towards the Global Goals, Getting out of a jam: Supporting traditional farmers and small business owners during COVID-19, United with India: Supporting India's COVID-19 vaccination drive, The COVID-19 infodemic threatens polio vaccination progress in Benin, 2021 Year in Review: We underestimate this virus at our peril, Updates from the field #48: UN teams tackle the emerging Omicron variant and other challenges, Somalia is on the path of recovery, but real challenges remain, Stronger together: Uruguay, a model of sustainable development, Access to information is the cure of disinformation, Only one way forward: The world confronts multiple crises, 3 ways the UN is supporting Peru to tackle the pandemic, protect the planet and leave no one behind, Post-COVID in Senegal: A reaffirmed commitment to sustainable, equitable and resilient development for all, Remarks to the high-level ministerial meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan. Drug trafficking and gang activity, which includes local micro-trafficking of narcotics and extortion, are the main causes of violent crime in Honduras. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2011 Global Study on Homicide, Honduras has the highest per capita homicide rate in the world, with 86 homicides for every 100,000 inhabitants. U.S. citizens in Honduras on U.S. government orders are only allowed to visit the Basilica of Suyapa with an organized tour group that provides armed security for the group. Organized criminal groups, including local and transnational gangs and narcotics traffickers, were significant perpetrators of violent crimes and committed acts of homicide, torture, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, intimidation, and other threats and violence directed against human rights defenders, judicial authorities, lawyers, . Traffic signs, even on major highways, are often inadequate; streets are often unmarked even in major cities. The Government of Honduras does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. Honduran police generally do not speak English. Penalties for the possession, use, or trafficking of illegal narcotics are strict; convicted offenders can expect lengthy jail sentences and fines. The 18th Street and MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) gangs are the most active and powerful. Counterfeit products are predominately but not solely in the pharmaceutical and apparel industries. Consider looking into aggregate data we have for Crime in Honduras. A review of crime statistics from the Honduran national police shows that violent crimes are more prevalent in the Departments of Francisco Morazn and Corts. The government followed a regional protocol to facilitate the repatriation of victims identified abroad and funded food, transportation, and lodging for such victims through a fund administered by the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. 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. Armed robbery is a common problem, with armed bandits attacking minibusses and vans loaded with tourists traveling from the airport to their hotels in San Pedro Sula. In January 2012, the Peace Corps suspended its program in Honduras in order to review the safety and security of its volunteers. The government has a police investigative unit dedicated to investigating violent crimes against the LGBTI+ and other vulnerable communities, composed of Public Ministry prosecutors, members of ATIC (prosecutors investigative agency), and the Honduran National Police; however, it has limited resources and functions primarily in the major urban areas. Counterfeit medicines are available in pulperas (private home-operated convenience stores), but have also been reported in Farmacias del Ahorro. Child victims could receive care from government or NGO shelters, while women had the option of receiving assistance from NGO shelters; there were no specialized shelters for trafficking victims and no shelters that accepted men. In accordance with the governments intersectoral protocol on victim protection, CICESCT coordinated with relevant government institutions and NGOs to provide additional services to victims, including mental health counseling, legal services, medical care, lodging, food, family reintegration, and repatriation. Review OSACs report, Kidnapping: The Basics. DOS: Northern Triangle Country Conditions: Ranking the Highest and Lowest Areas of Reported, Homicides, Disappearances, and Extortion - May 2019. Honduras is far more deadly than even the most violent U.S. cities. Honduras received support from the Millennium Challenge Corporation in the development of an e-procurement platform and public procurement auditing. The government modernized its national identification card system and began distributing new national identification cards in February 2021. The government convicted 14 traffickers, including 10 for sex trafficking, two for forced labor, and two for both sex trafficking and forced labor, compared with 34 traffickers convicted in 2019 (33 for sex trafficking/procuring commercial sex acts and one for forced labor) and 16 traffickers (including six for procuring commercial sex acts) convicted in 2018. Traffickers exploit Honduran adults and children in forced labor in street vending, forced begging, domestic service, drug trafficking, and the informal sector in their own country, as well as forced labor in other countries, particularly Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Incidents of piracy off the coast of Honduras can occur. Local, Regional, and International Terrorism Threats/Concerns. There have been frequent incidents of carjacking and highway robbery on a number of roads including the main highway (CA-5) between San Pedro Sula and Siguatepeque, with the greatest risk between Potrerillos and Pito Solo in the lake area. Experts observed that judges lack of specialized knowledge or experience in handling trafficking cases impeded successful prosecution and conviction of cases. The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this reports publication assesses Honduras at Level 3, indicating travelers should reconsider travel due to crime. and the scope of organized crime in Honduras. Honduran regulations prohibited charging recruitment fees to workers, but the government did not report enforcement of these regulations in 2020. Honduran law prohibited the prosecution of victims for unlawful acts traffickers compelled them to commit. My partner did not like me to go out, not even to church. Cruise ship industry contacts report that approximately one million U.S. citizens enter the country by ship every year, primarily in Roatn, but also in La Ceiba on the northern coast. Review OSACs reports, The Overseas Travelers Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. An NGO noted courts continued to delay trafficking cases despite a requirement in the anti-trafficking law to process such cases in a timely manner, an issue further exacerbated by the pandemic. Officials report family problems, unemployment, and lack of access to healthcare exacerbate these risks. In 2019, there was one murder case involving a resident U.S. citizen in Roatn. The government identified fewer victims overall and investigated, prosecuted, and convicted fewer suspects. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. Police may take hours to arrive at the scene of a violent crime or may not respond at all. Red Cross ambulance: 911, (504) 2227-7474 or (504) 2227-7575. The state of emergency, in place since Dec. 6 in 165 areas of Honduras' largest two cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, has been expanded to 235 of the country's 298 municipalities, the . The new amendments to the penal code lowered the penalties for trafficking crimes, resulting in penalties that were not commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. Law enforcement, immigration, and social service providers had written procedures for identifying and assisting victims, including screening for indicators of trafficking among vulnerable populations and referring potential victims to CICESCTs immediate response team. Read more about the coordinated response to COVID-19. The new amendments to the penal code lowered the penalties for trafficking crimes, resulting in penalties that were not commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. Murders are easy to commit because most of Honduras' population is armed. During 2019, multiple vehicles belonging to U.S. and Honduran employees of the U.S. Embassy were burglarized and/or vandalized on side streets around the Embassy compound. Thefts, break-ins, assaults, rapes, and murders do occur. Local police and emergency services lack sufficient resources to respond effectively to serious crime. ", expressed the UN Resident Coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, on Twitter. If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime, contact the local police and U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa. In November 2019, Tegucigalpa authorities began developing a luxury housing project in the La Tigra bioreserve, just outside of the city. This is a common practice for most automobile accidents where personal injury occurs, and for cases in which someone is accused of a criminal act. Three U.S. citizens were reported murdered in Honduras between January and September 2013. Most demonstrations were concentrated in or around city centers, public buildings, and other public areas. Discrimination occurs against ethnic minorities and the LGBTI+ community. 0. Municipalities With Highest Number of Deaths Attributed to Traffic Accidents 200 150 100 179 177 50 61 52 39 0 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 24 23 23 22 21 19 16, January to December 2019, Secretariat of Security Honduran National Police Honduras 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report. Many of these U.S. citizens are church and humanitarian aid volunteers working throughout the country, including in gang-controlled neighborhoods. The Public Ministry trained 160 prosecutors on human trafficking including on new provisions in the penal code, and the governments judicial training school trained select magistrates, judges, and justices of the peace on human trafficking issues. The immediate response team provided 67 victims of trafficking and related crimes with assistance, including legal advice, immediate protection, and psychological services. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. The Mexico 2017 Crime and Safety Report for Mexico City by the US Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) indicates that crimes such as armed robberies, kidnappings, car thefts, credit card fraud and residential theft are "daily concerns" (US 24 Feb. 2017). Crime is widespread in Honduras and requires a high degree of caution by U.S. visitors and residents alike. First responders referred potential trafficking victims to CICESCTs immediate response team, composed of two psychologists and a social worker, for immediate support. According to the UNDP report on Honduras, in 2020, the primary school enrollment rate reached 92%. "Honduras: Death of Keyla Martnez demands prompt, exhaustive and impartial investigation", 9 February Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action during the year. Despite being considered the best private hospital in Tegucigalpa, it is not Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited; JCI is an independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations. Historically, corruption has been pervasive in government procurement, issuance of government permits, customs, real estate transactions (particularly land title transfers), performance requirements, and the regulatory system. Information published on this website may contain errors. The government identified fewer victims overall and investigated, prosecuted, and convicted fewer suspects. A large number of media have distorted the populations perception on violence against women by informing about it in a way that makes it seems as if these are isolated cases, when the reality is that this is an endemic issue in the Honduran society. There is often a spike in skimming in December and June, when the working population receive Christmas and mid-year bonuses in the form of one extra months salary. The campaign and its different audiovisual assets have been broadcasted by over 15 media outlets nationwide and free of charge, including the country's most-watched TV network. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Lima as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Review the State Departments webpage on security for travelers with disabilities. Gangs are not reluctant to use violence, and specialize in murder-for-hire, carjacking, extortion, and other violent street crime. honduras crime and safety report 2022. Authorities reported restrictions implemented to mitigate the pandemic impeded investigations in commercial venues where trafficking has been known to occur and slowed investigations and prosecutions of trafficking crimes. According to the Global Peace Index, the island of Roatan, as a part of Honduras, shares its ranking of 123 out of 163 countries analyzed. There are claims of widespread corruption in land sales, deed filing, and dispute resolution, including claims against attorneys, real estate companies, judges, and local officials. CICESCT provided 76,970 lempiras ($3,080) to an NGO operating a shelter that accommodated women, girls, and boys up to age 12 and dedicated 318,040 lempiras ($12,720) to victims immediate needs including food, hygiene supplies, and lodging. Since 2010, Honduras has had one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world, ranging between 59 and 86 per 100,000 according to the U.S. Department of State. Increase investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of suspected traffickers, including complicit officials and forced labor crimes. While the risk from crime in Honduras remains a concern, most U.S. citizens visiting or residing in Honduras are unaffected by violence and visit for tourism or humanitarian aid work without incident. The government maintained prevention efforts. Pilar Lagos, Allan Chan, and PaulVanDeCarrfrom the Development Coordination Office (DCO) provided editorial support. Honduran law requires access to buildings for persons with disabilities; however, there are limited facilities for individuals with disabilities. A study conducted by the Spotlight Initiative and civil society partnersincluding the University Institute for Democracy, Peace and Security (IUDPAS) of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) and the communications company Sienprovided data on howmedia messages about violence against womenareframedin the news. During the presentation of these findings, Alice Shackelford called for "changing the narrative and expressing our intolerance towards this type of violence". Head of Police Gustavo Snchez 7 Feb said state of emergency, first imposed in Dec 2022 to tackle extortion, had reduced average number of homicides per day from nine in 2022 to seven so far in 2023. . It provided a family, a sense of belonging. The police, along with the Ministry of Defenses Military Public Order Police (PMOP), routinely establish checkpoints and review documentation (e.g. Honduras has a long history of sustaining damage due to powerful tropical storms and hurricanes. Although Copan, Roatan/Bay Islands, and other tourist destinations have a lower crime rate than other parts of the country, thefts, break-ins, assaults, and murders do occur. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2017 was 40.98, a 26.23% decline from 2016. Criminals and pickpockets target visitors as they enter and depart airports and hotels, so visitors should consider carrying their passports and valuables in a concealed pouch. The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance for Honduras. Although many tourists come to this city, there is a high crime rate, which is worth remembering when planning a trip to this city. Most often, pickpocketing and theft of bags and wallets occur here. According to the International Rescue Committee, femicides are a major concern in Honduras. Although reports of kidnappings have dropped considerably in recent years, they continue to affect both the local and expatriate communities, with victims sometimes paying large ransoms for the prospect of release. These crimes may have been the result of tips from sources surveilling the airport arrival area. La Ceiba, Trujillo) and major hotels; other tourist installations have increased private and police security. Authorities identified five of the victims through calls to government hotlines, and 16 were identified in Mexico or Guatemala and repatriated to Honduras. Some victims provided testimony through pre-recorded interviews in secure Gesell chambers or, due to the pandemic, video calls. Union leaders and labor activists in both the public and private sector face harassment, dismissal, and violence for their activities. Instruct the driver not to pick up other passengers, agree on the fare before you depart, and have small bills available for payment, as taxi drivers often do not make change. We have provided a few examples below that you can copy and paste to your site: Your image export is now complete. InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean. Labor inspectors did not identify any suspected trafficking cases in 2020. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Tegucigalpa as being a MEDIUM-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. By comparison, the United States has a global safety ranking of 128. Quarter of residents in Yangon's poorest areas often go without income, From Grief to Growth: Supporting a Woman Farmer in Lebanon, Reaching the last mile in Uganda: Decentralised Coordination for impact, Strengthening Resident Coordinator Leadership, Violence against women, the other pandemic impacting Honduras, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The government offered services to both forced labor and sex trafficking victims but identified a disproportionately low number of forced labor victims compared to the estimated prevalence of forced labor in the country. Honduras Country Report 2022. . Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. Fire Department operations: +504-2231-1667. Major cities connect via an inconsistently maintained, two-lane system of paved roads, with many unpaved secondary roads. In comparison, the government identified 75 victims (66 in sex trafficking and 9 in forced labor) and NGOs identified 78 victims in 2019, and the government identified 73 victims (63 in sex trafficking and 10 in forced labor) in 2018. Until his life grew increasingly violent. The government initially allocated 8.93 million lempiras ($357,150) to CICESCT but later decreased its actual disbursement to 6.18 million lempiras ($247,020) due to pandemic-related funds redistribution and budget cuts. This helps keep everyone in poverty. Most crime victims are members of rival gangs, small business owners who resist gang extortion, passengers on public transportation, or those involved in land tenure disputes. Although the trend has decreased as of 2014, Crime in Roatan, Honduras. Cable signal theft and counterfeit products are the most prevalent violations of intellectual property rights in Honduras. This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa.
Matthew Dowd Maria Shriver Split, 2005 Sun Tracker Party Cruiser 32, Databricks Alter Database Location, Articles OTHER