Other ways to share Already vulnerable people in Honduras live in an evolving humanitarian crisis, says IRC protection coordinator Zuleyma Chahin. 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. San Pedro Sula (Spanish pronunciation: [sam pedo sula]) is the capital of Corts Department, Honduras.It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Sula Valley, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Puerto Corts on the Caribbean Sea.With a population of 671,460 in the central urban area (2020 calculation) and a population of 1,445,598 in its metropolitan area in 2020 . And when it comes to the extreme violence of Honduras, thosevery highfigures come from gang violence. 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. 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. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. It was focused on the security, or lack of security in Honduras. There are high levels of crime in Honduras. It was Zelaya's intention to seek a second term that coup leaders. Drug trafficking gangs, corruption, and extreme poverty keep Honduras down. 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. EIN number 13-5660870. Indeed, Honduras is seeing a plague of femicidesa woman is murdered every 36 hours, mostly by an intimate partner. Honduras has been through a lot in recent years. 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. Estimates of the number of active gang members range from 5,000 to 40,000. Chatting to them means getting first-hand knowledge, and means your experience is going to be a lot richer. It may have improved it actually. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. Enjoy your travels! The crime rates are improving and the government is putting a lot of effort into attracting more tourists. According to the U.N., Honduras has the highest femicide rate in the world. Anyone else would do well with a trusted tour group. Certain routes that these take have been the target ofarmed attacks. Gang violence is widespread in and around urban areas. An audit of government purchases of medical supplies to fight Covid-19 revealed supplies worth tens of millions of dollars had gone missing. 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. Individuals and state agents continute to threaten and attack journalists, press freedom groups report. ACNUR acoge con satisfaccin la aprobacin de la ley sobre desplazamiento interno en Honduras Format News and Press Release Source. Until his life grew increasingly violent. 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 average, children living in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are 10 times more likely to be killed than a child who lives in the United States. SafetyWing is convenient, cheap, and trouble-free Insurance was never this easy! Do your own research. 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. Chances are, if you are arriving via a cruise ship, you will be safe. Honduran people are friendly and welcoming. Use these tips to reduce the risk, but we also recommend that you pack some medication fit for a bad stomach. 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. 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. All that in mind, there are places that expats dolive in Honduras. Security forces committed abuses while enforcing a nationwide Covid-19 lockdown that President Juan Orlando Hernndez imposed in March. The IRC serves people and families in vulnerable situations or at increased risk for violence and displacement, including those who are uprooted by violence or returning after seeking safety in other countries. World Nomads mission is to support and encourage travellers to explore their boundaries. 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. Newton County Sheriff's Office was involved with . Rights activists say young men are frequently arrested just based on their age, appearance or whether they live in a gang-dominated slum. In the 2010s, Honduras' homicide rate skyrocketed, peaking in 2011 and slowly declining since. Its a mix of European, indigenous and Caribbean influence, and youll love it. The inmates, all from Honduras, had reportedly escaped custody yesterday in . Security experts are divided on how much the perception is the result of sensationalist media coverage, a real rise, a little of both or simply the continued expansion of a problem that has metastasized for two decades. Patrick said the inmates were captured about 7:45 AM in downtown Newton. As dusk fell, a helicopter hovered menacingly over a dusty football field where several hundred police officers stood in formation, waiting for the clock to strike six and the imposition of a state of exception partially suspending constitutional guarantees in Honduras. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Access to health care services was a concern in Honduras prior to the pandemic, particularly for rural and economically marginalized communities. 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). You should ask locals on the best routes to take to any given place. Gangs exercise territorial control over neighborhoods and extort residents throughout the country. 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. For now, there are 15,000 taxis who want your attention. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Biodiversity is a huge part of Honduras. We need to address these immediate needs too.. 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. Yery Noel Medina Ulloa of Honduras pleaded guilty . - The New York Times Inside Gang Territory In Honduras 'Either They Kill Us or We Kill Them' In one of the deadliest cities in the world, an embattled group of young men had little but their tiny. It also documented widespread mistreatment of people detained and arrested during the protests. It can be a super enriching experience. 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. STANTON COUNTY, Neb. People do it. Honduras recorded 3,496 murders in 2020. But like any war, it isnt just a battle against an enemy, but also for control of the popular narrative in this case, an attempt to counter allegations that the government has not done enough to combat rampant crime. And people do go. 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. He estimated the companies and drivers have paid an average of about $10 million per month to the gangs in order to operate. 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. Officials flew Garza, a 48-year-old . This isnt one for first-time backpackers. Its prettyextreme. Youll most likely get watered-down versions of Honduran food and Western stuff. Human rights defenders have said they will monitor the measures. 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. The code also includes poorly constructed provisions that could lead to violations of the rights to assemble and protest and an overly broad definition of association to engage in terrorism, which could be used to criminalize and disproportionately punish behaviors that fall far short of what most reasonable observers would consider terrorism. Impunity for human rights abuses, violent crime, and corruption remains the norm, even as the prison population has mushroomed. 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 are all about smart travel and were here to help you travel smart too. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. And were not going to lie,Honduras doesnt exactly lend itself to solo travel. Make sure to check the reviews from previous travellers to check for any problems during their stay. You dont know how clean the persons hands are whos been peeling and chopping the, Dont go TOO in on the food when you first arrive, especially if you get ill from food quite easily. Or gangs attacking Honduran citizens for not paying war tax. Theres a lot to learn about Honduras that goes beyond gangs and beaches. The new criminal code decriminalized defamation, but retains other crimes of honorincluding insult and slanderwhich have been used to prosecute journalists in the past. Traveling around the country is a more complicated matter. ThisCentral Americancountry suffers from what many countries in the region have suffered from or are currently battling with namely corruption, gangs,anddrugs. Its just better to have a local driver drive you around. 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. The primary drivers of this violence are gangs like the Barrio 18 and MS13, which concentrate their criminal activities in urban areas and recruit young people, many of whom are suffering from widespread economic inequality and a lack of opportunity. In July, police arrested two men in connection to the 2020 killings of 45 TV reporter Germn Vallecillo Jr. and his cameraman, Jorge Posas, in La Ceiba. Disclaimer: Safety conditions change all over the world on a daily basis. They are taxed by gangs. 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. That means suncream, sun-hats, and limiting time in the sun. Theyre fairly easy to use, but be aware of the risks. The mission in early December was ostensibly to raid a casa loca, an abandoned home used by gang members. A law prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting childrentook effect in 2019. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Corruption, no supervision, and poor legislation have led to Latin American military weapons ending up in criminal hands. Honestly? The flavors, spices and. Subscribe. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. In Honduras, one of the most violent countries in the world, 60 percent of deaths are attributed to organized crime. But it has not yet resulted in an increase in police reports a key measure of public trust. Heres what you need to know about the growing crisis in Honduras. So long as violence in Honduras continues without impunity, major displacement will persist in 2022. It has experienced one of the world's highest homicide rates, with multiple forms of violence linked to drug trafficking groups. Many people do travel to this particular part of Honduras,even with their families. So no. Share this via Printer, As More Climate Chaos Looms, Slashing Fossil Fuels Is Key. More than half of detained men and two-thirds of detained women were in pretrial detention. 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. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. These drug trafficking gangs rule peoples lives. Many Hondurans dont have access toclean waterandmedical care. 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. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to two main gangs : Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18. Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Investigations were underway at time of writing. 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.. Latest News Profile Criminal Actors Investigations News Latest News During the first month of the measures, 39 criminal gangs were destroyed and 652 people were arrested, while 43 kilos of cocaine and thousands of grams and rocks of crack were seized, the police said. (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. We hope these measures work and remain in place.. There are taxi ranks in a lot of locations. Were not going to say its thesafest place to travel,nor is it going to be the easiestplace to travel as a solo female. Allegations that senior politicians had been benefiting financially from the drug trade contributed to the unrest. 2023, The Broke Backpacker. Politicians are manipulated by criminals or other politicians. In April, the office expressed concern regarding accusations of excesive use of force by state security agents enforcing the governments Covid-19 restrictions. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to twomain gangs:Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) andBarrio 18. Taxis areall over the placein Honduras. Lanza said drivers had been asking for a crackdown for years. Dont drink the water without treating, and steer clear of ice cubes,too. So. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. Our work is costly and high risk. Instead, buy an eSIM! 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. As of August 2020, more than 21,000 people were detained in prisons with capacity for just under 11,000. 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. A . The food in Honduras is super tasty. 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). Then there are quite a lot of gang wars as well. With just 39% of the population fully vaccinated as of December 2021, the health risks associated with the pandemic will remain a concern long into 2022. These are the safest islands: Once you get off the ferry in Utila you have officially entered an alternate reality. There are alsopassenger ferriesif you want to go totheBay Islands. Honduras isnt exactly what wed callsafe. The law also sanctions abortion providers. Itcan be safe as a solo female traveler in Honduras. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. Poverty, violence, and insecurity are the main reasons for the high crime rate. Just in case, thats No quiero compartir el taxi.. If you see any outdated information in this guide, we would really appreciate it if you could reach out in the comments below. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Honduras has the misfortune of being situated between South American cocaine production and U.S. drug consumption. So youll likely escape having to pay war tax (or facing the consequences). Again, thank you! Schools were closed from March onward due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This should not distract, however, from the fact that there are life-threatening problems that residents of Honduras struggle with daily. In El Salvador, a Thin Line Between Community Policing and Vigilantism. https://t.co/xQGbbyZXXv. Youll need to be a confident traveler. . Note that they are generally safe to visit during the day (with a bit of caution obviously), especially if you have a local guide, but should be fully avoided at night. Journalists, environmental activists,lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals,and people with disabilities are among the groups targeted forviolence. Well be answering super important questions including How safe is Honduras right now? and Is it safe to live in Honduras? We also give loads of tips for solo travelers and families. A Honduran woman and her children manage to cross the remnants of a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Iota. Planning a safe trip to Honduras can get quite overwhelming. Get the latest news about the IRC's innovative programs, compelling stories about our clients and how you can make a difference. Nope. Almendares had repeatedly received death threats since 2017 in relation to his reporting. Its not very safe to drive in Honduras. 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. Poor health infrastructure and limited access to sanitation services has contributed to the spread of the virus. 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. Of 25,000 gang members in 2012, nearly a fifth were children, UNICEF estimated. All rights reserved. As the camera rolled, the police began stopping vehicles passing by in the background, running ID cards and frisking occupants. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Radio taxisare always a better option than hailing one off the street. 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. TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduran authorities reported on Monday the discovery of more than 1.6 million coca leaf bushes in the most important. Often, people with disabilities are threatened and subjected to extortion by criminal gangs. President Xiomara Castro, center, with the minister of defense, Jose Manuel Zelaya, and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Jos Jorge Fortn, at a military ceremony in Tegucigalpa on 9 December. 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. 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. Extortion in Latin America continues to bring in fortunes for criminal gangs. Even if they graduate high school, they can't get a job." International Rescue Committee is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. There are probably more sketchy areas in Honduras than there are safe ones. It may not exactly be classed as safe, but Honduras shouldnt be ignored. Youll get the, If youve got no locals to ask, just use your eyes. This helps keep everyone in poverty. 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. To make sure youre having a successful trip, weve listed the safest, and the no-go areas below. This has a pretty good expat community too. These. The data was compiled by Citizen Council for Public Security, Justice, and Peace, a Mexican. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? And that is pretty cool. Its just that easy. As of September 2020, the US had yet to begin deporting any third country nationals to Honduras under the agreement. Here is available the most popular Honduras Newspapers list. 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. Of the 6,088,590 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX. Especiallythrough a tour company. It suspends some Constitutional rights and gives police more powers to arrest and hold suspects. Police raid a house in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on 8 December. There is no such thing as a perfect safety guide, and this article is no different. It wont be down to the wire cutting edge info on the most current events, but it is layered in the expertise of veteran travellers. Otherwise, thanks for your ear and stay safe! People here live in pretty supreme poverty 60%of the population living in poverty really isa lot of people. Also in February, the OAS special rapporteur on freedom of expression called on Honduras to decriminalize defamation and to properly investigate killings of journalists. In 2013, Honduras reformed the penal code to recognize femicide as a crime. InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean. Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox. Theres more nature here than you can shake a stick at. 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. HOUSTON Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston, with assistance from ERO Tegucigalpa and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force, removed Rufino Garza Monroy, a twice-deported foreign fugitive from the United States on Feb. 24. Activistssaythegovernments Mechanism for the Protection of Journalists, Human Rights Defenders and Operators of Justice, created in 2015, lacks uniform criteria and is ineffective. 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. "Today at dawn, in a single operation, we transferred the first 2,000 gang . The inmates, all from Honduras, had reportedly escaped custody yesterday in Scott County. A large chunk of thosearrived via cruise ships, however. We get it. This is when things can get sketchy. They offer simple & flexible travel insurance, and safety advice to help you travel confidently. Sexual violence and oppression are frequent tragedies here. 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. San Pedro Sula, Honduras, has been given the unfortunate title of the most dangerous city in the world. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. 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.