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. In July 2020, gunmen in police uniforms abducted five indigenous Garifuna men in Triunfo de la Cruz, where communities are claiming ancestral land from drug traffickers and developers. That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). 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. Dont open the door for anyone, unless youre expecting a visit. if youre visiting Honduras, you will have to avoid this city completely. As of August 2020, more than 21,000 people were detained in prisons with capacity for just under 11,000. Tegucigalpa. InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean. Get the latest news about the IRC's innovative programs, compelling stories about our clients and how you can make a difference. The media and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) reported several cases of abusive police enforcement of the Covid-19 lockdown. Theyve been doing it since 2002 protecting, connecting, and inspiring independent travellers just like you. We are on the frontlines providing critical aid to crisis-affected people in more than 40 countries, including places on the 2022 Emergency Watchlist. Share this via LinkedIn It included provisions that appeared aimed at reducing penalties for politicians linked to organized crime, by lowering sentences for corruption and related offenses. Drug trafficking gangs, corruption, and extreme poverty keep Honduras down. 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. Living in Honduras means youll have to adjust your life to the way of life here. As of September 2020, the US had yet to begin deporting any third country nationals to Honduras under the agreement. Heres what you need to know about the growing crisis in Honduras. 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.. 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. Police presented a comprehensive plan to reform laws and ramp up institutional capacity measures that experts believe could have a positive effect long-term but which were pushed aside by the short-term political decision to declare a state of exception. Its just better to have a local driver drive you around. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. 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. Its a wild world out there. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Late Thursday, Honduran President Xiomara Castro proposed a measure to limit constitutional rights so as to round up gang members. As the camera rolled, the police began stopping vehicles passing by in the background, running ID cards and frisking occupants. If you are a keen diver, Roatan is well worth a visit. A study by the National Violence Observatory of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) placed the country as the most violent territory in Central America, with a homicide rate of 38.5 per 100,000 inhabitants. When the time came, the police departed in caravans to gang-infested neighbourhoods throughout the capital city, as part of an effort to combat an apparent rise in extortion. 2023, The Broke Backpacker. In fact, according toInSight Crime there has definitely been around a 26% drop in crime since 2016. Thats mainly to visit islands like Roatan. On theCaribbean coast, there are plenty of delicious dishes to sample, with tortillasand things likerefried beansserved up with every meal. You can definitely push your luck by staying in the wrong neighborhood as well. There are alsopassenger ferriesif you want to go totheBay Islands. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Sexual violence and oppression are frequent tragedies here. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. 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. Chances are it wasnt cooked with too much care. More than half of detained men and two-thirds of detained women were in pretrial detention. The data was compiled by Citizen Council for Public Security, Justice, and Peace, a Mexican. This perception has grown despite a slight reduction in homicides this year, according to preliminary data, and a significant drop over the past decade since Honduras held the ignominious title of the worlds most violent country. You can too. Its not a good idea to go out to bars and clubs by yourself. led to the detention of more than 2% of its adult population. The likelihood of you getting caught up in all that relies very much on you being somehow related to one of the gangs. Excessive use of force by police and deployment of the military in public security operations continued in 2020. San Pedro Sula, Honduras, has been given the unfortunate title of the most dangerous city in the world. After a 2019 wave of gang violence that killed 37 detainees, President Hernndez declared a state of emergency and put prisons under military control. At the same time, traveling alone can be stressful, boring, lonely, anddangerous in varying quantities. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. 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. Theyre fairly easy to use, but be aware of the risks. Its not very safe to drive in Honduras. Patrick said the inmates were captured about 7:45 AM in downtown Newton. Youll most likely get watered-down versions of Honduran food and Western stuff. Some victims of extortion said that the only thing that has changed is how the money is collected. It can get SUPER hot in Honduras. Just in case, thats No quiero compartir el taxi.. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. The government of Honduras is committed to attracting more tourists. By 2020 they want an additional milliontourists annually. 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. There is limited data on the effectiveness of the program in Honduras. Hondurans are warm and welcoming people whohave to live day in, day out with the violence in their country. On Friday, Jorge Lanza the leader of the bus operators in Honduras, supported the move, saying bus drivers were tired of being threatened and killed for not paying protection money. . Well Public transportation can be alittle trickyin Honduras, and its not always safe. A ferry also runs betweenTrujilloandGuanaja. The vaccine doses arrived in the Honduran capital on October 4 2021. Roatan is the more developed, more expensive, and family friendly big brother of Utila. Politicians are manipulated by criminals or other politicians. As a result, humanitarian needs for food, health, nutrition and protection have increased. There are definitely a fair few pros to solo travel. Honduras has been through a lot in recent years. Juan Orlando Hernndez extolled his achievements as. Many Hondurans dont have access toclean waterandmedical care. 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. The effort comes amid complaints by business owners, the transportation sector and ordinary Hondurans that extortion by criminals has risen in recent months. Even if they graduate high school, they can't get a job." 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. If youre not on a highwayyoull probably need a 44. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. The first 2,000 inmates were transferred to El Salvador's new mega-prison for hardcore gangbangers. But if youre thinking about it, here are some tips. EIN number 13-5660870. When more cameras arrived, men were forced to take off their shirts so the police could inspect them for gang tattoos in front of the bright lights. 20 Top Safety Tips for Traveling to Honduras. In September, two men shot and killed journalist Luis Alonzo Almendares in Comayagua. Historically, governments have responded with iron-fist security strategies to combat organized crime, enacting tougher legislation and increasing police presence and mass detentions. So no. 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. Violence: Honduras reached a . In April, Public Order Military Police (PMOP) officers severely beat three brothers and shot two of themone fatallyfor allegedly violating a curfew in El Paraso in order to sell bread. You basically pay for safety, but better safe than sorry wed say. Journalists, environmental activists, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). This helps keep everyone in poverty. Public buildings, transportation, and information and communication services open to the public are not fully accessible to people with disabilities. Theres a lot to learn about Honduras that goes beyond gangs and beaches. Traveling around the country is a more complicated matter. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most-watched television news channel for 18 consecutive years. 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.. 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. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. Hondurass prison population has doubled over the past decade, partly due to a 2013 reform that greatly expanded the use of mandatory pre-trial detention. The government bans emergency contraception, known as the morningafter pill, which can prevent pregnancy after rape, unprotected sex, or contraceptive failure. Gangs kill, disappear, rape, or displace those who resist. Theyre run by private companies, obviously, and aremore expensivethan public buses. Impunity for human rights abuses, violent crime, and corruption remains the norm, even as the prison population has mushroomed. Not really. This Central American country actually has one of the highest murder rates in the world. 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. People here live in pretty supreme poverty 60%of the population living in poverty really isa lot of people. There is an expat community inTrujillo. After irregularities and delays, the trial of David Castillo, one of the men accused of planning the 2016 killing of environmental activist Berta Cceres, began in September 2020. It can be a super enriching experience. Its prettyextreme. As expected, the video went viral and the local newspapers made sure they put this trusted news source on their front page. 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. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to twomain gangs:Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) andBarrio 18. In El Salvador, a Thin Line Between Community Policing and Vigilantism. The Covid-19 pandemic has further limited access to education for many children. Despite recent educational advances, around a third of children aged 3-17 did not attend school in 2018, according to the most recent survey by the National Statistics Institute. In Honduras, one of the most violent countries in the world, 60 percent of deaths are attributed to organized crime. See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution and Travel Advisories. STANTON COUNTY, Neb. Half of underage pregnancies result from rape. Copyright International Rescue Committee, 2023. crises in 2022 in Latin America and the Caribbean, top 10 crises the world cant ignore in 2022, calling for stronger international cooperation, 2.8 million people in need of humanitarian aid, 36% of funding received for 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan, 937,000 disaster-induced displacements in 2020, 3.3 million people facing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity in 2022. Radio Globo directorDavid Romero, convicted of defamation in 2016, died in prison from Covid-19 in July. This is essentially anunsafecountry. So whilst its gettingsafer, its a slow process. And theyre generally safe. So. We are going to eradicate extortion in every corner of our country.. One example:tajadas(fried plantains, topped with cabbage and served with ground beef). Independent travel is going to require A LOT of being careful. Get a quote below or read our in-depth review! The streets of major cities like Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula are gripped by crime and conflict. In Honduras, the types of danger include, but are not limited to, violent gang activity, trafficking, rape, street crime and armed robbery. (Reporting by Orfa Mejia in Tegucigalpa; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Leslie Adler). There is only anecdotal evidence of the scale of the problem because so few extortion victims report the crime, making a statistical analysis impossible. Roatan is the largest of the Honduras Bay Islands. An eSIM works just like an app: you buy it, you download it, and BOOM! Alongside her husband, Sasha, she co-founded the. They are taxed by gangs. Often, people with disabilities are threatened and subjected to extortion by criminal gangs. REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File Photo. Overcrowding, inadequate nutrition, poor sanitation, beatings, intra-gang violence, and detainee killings are endemic in prisons. But it has not yet resulted in an increase in police reports a key measure of public trust. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Other ways to share They offer simple & flexible travel insurance, and safety advice to help you travel confidently. These are pretty safe. 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 national police said. Look and see where locals are eating. That said, the governmentclaimsthere has been a 52%decreasein violent crime over the past five years. It pays totravel smartin Honduras like ANYWHERE in the world. 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. The government relies heavily on the military for public security. The government had granted him protective measures in January 2019. Honestly? Download Historical Data. There is no such thing as a perfect safety guide, and this article is no different. Heres how to not get ill whilst trying local delights. Wed say only experienced, intrepid travelers should tackle this one alone. msn back to msn home news Skip To Navigation These are the safest islands: Once you get off the ferry in Utila you have officially entered an alternate reality. 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. All rights reserved. Over60% of the populationlive below the poverty line. Since 2010, 42. Its dangerous there.. 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. One good thing I can say about Roatan is that the dive sites are excellent around the island. For your trip to Honduras, our handy guide has you covered. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. 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. Share this via Email But the thing iswomen DO travel alone to Honduras. Youll also have to take care that your children dont stay in the sun fortoo long. Honduras declared the state of exception for 30 days in 162 neighborhoods, some politicians have already called for it to be extended in duration and territory. 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. There are an estimated 115,000 gang members. For example, theBay Islandsaresaferthan the mainland. Naturally, youre going to be wondering, Is Honduras safe? That is why we have created this insiders guide looking at the safety of travelers in Honduras. Activist groups, like the Grupo Prisma, have formed that educate and inform the general public as well as fight the current rules against homosexual relationships. In certain areas, yes Honduras is safe to travel for families. The government has set up roadblocks, deployed security forces, and used violence to prevent people from leaving the country. The law also sanctions abortion providers. As of August, prisons had reported 1,700 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths. At least 86 journalists were killed from 2001 through July 2020, the Honduran College of Journalists reported, and 92 percent of those killings remain unpunished. Its not 100% safe in Honduras. Around 191,000 people were internally displaced between 2004 and 2018, the Honduran government reported, and more than 75,000 Hondurans sought asylum abroad in 2017. A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. Since the end of the last decade, political protection has allowed the traditional drug trafficking groups to flourish. 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. These. In June, police detained and beat bus drivers who were allegedly protesting not being able to work due to lockdown restrictions. Xiomara should hurry up and go after all those gang members, said Isidora Varela, 70, at her market stand in downtown Tegucigalpa. A new country, a new contract, a new piece of plastic booooring. Here is available the most popular Honduras Newspapers list. Every 18 hours, a woman is a victim of a violent death. Share this via Twitter Women in Guatemala: The New Faces of Extortion? Thats why weve listed and answered the most frequently asked questions on safety in Honduras. The government neither comprehensively protects the rights of children, including adolescents, nor ensures that they have access to basic services such as education and healthcare, the IACHR reported in 2019. Estimates of the number of active gang members range from 5,000 to 40,000. 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. In June 2020, a new criminal code came into effect. The mission in early December was ostensibly to raid a casa loca, an abandoned home used by gang members. But Honduras is far from Eden. Theres alsoLa Ceiba. Classes were broadcast on television, radio, and online, in some cases with assignments sent via Whatsapp. 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. Home to the second biggest barrier reef in the world, beaches, and sparkling turquoise sea, as well as a whole host of Mayan ruins, amazing coffee, and the second largest rainforest in the Americas, Honduras is extremely biodiverse: there are 770 bird species alone. In November 2020, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard the case of Vicky Hernndez, a trans woman allegedly extrajudicially executed in 2009. More information. 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. So long as violence in Honduras continues without impunity, major displacement will persist in 2022. Honduras | Today's latest from Al Jazeera Honduras Peru pulls ambassador from Honduras amid regional criticism Peru has struggled with diplomatic isolation as left-wing. In Honduras, Police Accused Of Corruption, Killings Hernndez ran for reelection in 2017 a controversial move in Honduras. 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. 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. Everyone from children to adults are recruited. It is honestly NOT safe to drink the water in Honduras. But traveling there is possible, of course. Honduras, in general, is open and welcoming to children. People live here with children, by themselves, as couples, some retire here, and some people have even started up their own hostelsor otherbusinesses. There are 37 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, and all 18 provinces are. 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. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. The story 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison was published by the Associated Press on 2022-07-04 18:29:24. Honduras Private Sector and Anti-Extortion Police: An Unholy Alliance? The measure must still be approved by Congress. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. Expat retirees, yachties, families with kids, and cruise ship tourists make up a large majority of the demographic found on Roatan at any given time. Locals drive atcrazy speeds on the highways, there are random toll roads that make the cost high (but if you dont take them, alternative routes are often not paved), and there are animals on the road. Gangs exercise territorial control over neighborhoods and extort residents throughout the country. Gang wars and fights with the police are common in this city. Abuses by security forces, including alleged collusion with criminal organizations, and weak state institutions, have contributed to the persistence of gang violence. 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. This new donation is in addition to the 81,900 doses of Pfizer . Extortion in Latin America continues to bring in fortunes for criminal gangs. Simple as that. Bukeles example resonates in societies with a fragile institutional framework and with a tendency towards populism and authoritarianism, said Ismael Moreno, a human rights defender. 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. UNHCR; Posted 22 Dec 2022 Originally published 22 . Extortion in the Northern Triangle is predominantly done from prisons, yet prison populations have been on the rise. Honduras isnt perfectly safe for tourists, but that doesnt mean that you can travel there or have a good time. Whilst many people DO live here, it doesnt mean Honduras is safe to live. Thats why we listed the no-go areas in Honduras below. Its a mix of European, indigenous and Caribbean influence, and youll love it. You can catch a ferry from the mainland atLa Ceibato eitherUtilaorRoatan. 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. Political power brokers also have ties to drug smuggling and have even run trafficking operations themselves. We are all about smart travel and were here to help you travel smart too. With those come violenceandpoverty. ; Children and Adolescents - Honduras has the highest youth homicide rate in the world. His unit was headed to the Hole a labyrinthine neighbourhood of narrow streets, whose nickname was originally coined because of its location between sharp hillsides, but which has taken on a new meaning as a place where gang members disappear. That means suncream, sun-hats, and limiting time in the sun. The men remained missing at time of writing. (Insider Tips), https://www.facebook.com/gratefulgypsies/, https://www.instagram.com/gratefulgypsies/, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn5T0r4o5KV4qoyQyR7Buww, https://www.pinterest.com/gratefulgypsies/, Traveller, teacher, writer, and bonafide music lover, Rachel Lee is a Tennessee-born human with a passion for movement. 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. Take theBay Islands,for example. Honduran people are friendly and welcoming. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Wed,03/01/23-8:26AM, 3 Reads. Feb. 21, 2023, at 6:11 p.m. Honduras Extends, Expands State of Emergency for Second Time. Sat Navs might not always tell you the best route. 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. Almost 110,000 Hondurans were returned in 2019, mostly from Mexico. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. Were not going to lie its pretty sketchy. I wouldnt dare to say that [extortion] has skyrocketed because it has been so high for many years, said Leticia Salomn, a sociologist and researcher with the Documentation Center of Honduras. Suddenly you find yourself surrounded by backpackers, dive shops, hostels, burger shacks, smoothie stands, and pirate bars.