Limited inspections could facilitate movements of terrorists. The government did not effectively enforce these laws and regulations, although penalties were commensurate with laws related to civil rights, such as election interference. Discrimination occurs against ethnic minorities and the LGBTI+ community. A significant percentage of vehicles are in disrepair, underpowered, beyond their lifecycle, and would not meet U.S. road safety standards. The IACHR received information on frequent threats of lawsuits and prosecutions, including for slander and libel, hindering human rights work in Honduras. Honduras Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023 (September 2022) The lack of space for social distancing combined with the lack of adequate sanitation made prison conditions even more life threatening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in close to 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Internal Displacement, Migration, and Asylum. In terms of natural disasters, Honduras experiences a wet season from May to November that poses a number of dangerous threats, including hurricanes, landslides, mudslides, and flooding. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide, armed robbery, and kidnapping, is common. A wide variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. Honduras requires proof of Yellow Fever immunization if coming from another country endemic with Yellow Fever. In the 2013 census, approximately 8.5 percent of the population identified themselves as members of indigenous communities, but other estimates were higher. On June 17, a riot between alleged members of the 18th Street and MS-13 gangs in the maximum-security prison La Tolva in Moroceli, El Paraiso Department, resulted in five dead and 39 injured. Activists say the governments Mechanism for the Protection of Journalists, Human Rights Defenders, and Justice Activists, created in 2015, is ineffective. From January to June, the OV-UNAH documented eight violent deaths in prisons. Children often worked alongside family members in agriculture and other work, such as fishing, construction, transportation, and small businesses. There were credible complaints that police occasionally failed to obtain the required authorization before entering private homes. According to UNDP data, informal workers played a large role in nearly every industry, including agriculture and fishing; mining; manufacturing; utilities; construction; wholesale retail, hotels, and restaurants; transport and storage; and personal services. The law requires prisoners to work at least five hours a day, six days a week. Both the secretariat and the commission focused on developing policies to address IDPs. Passengers on public buses have been the victims of robbery at roadblocks and bus stops, during daytime and nighttime hours. Kidnappings declined by 82% since 2013, from 92 in 2013 to 14 in 2018, and 12 in 2019. Country-specific Vaccination and Health Guidance. However, in June and October 2021 it abstained from OAS resolutions condemning arrests of Nicaraguan presidential opposition candidates and critics and demanding their release. The law presumes an accused person is innocent. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Publishing or Journalists; environmental activists; human rights defenders; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals; and people with disabilities are among the groups targeted for violence. As of September, more than 20,000 people were detained in prisons with capacity for under 11,000. There were allegations that companies used collective pacts, which are collective contracts with nonunionized workers, to prevent unionization and collective bargaining because only one collective contract may exist in each workplace. Gang violence is widespread in and around urban areas. Avoid using Collectivos (white sedan taxis with a sticker on the windshield denoting its established route), Roleteros (private white sedan taxis with no established routes), and Rapiditos (small buses that pick up multiple riders). . Informal Sector: According to the STSS, approximately 75 percent of workers worked in the informal economy, equivalent to approximately 2.7 million persons. Do not travel to Gracias a Dios Department due to crime. Crisis in Honduras: Ongoing violence and climate shocks On October 7, the National Congress increased penalties for forced labor under the trafficking-in-persons article of the penal code from five to eight years imprisonment to 10 to 15 years, bringing the penalties in line with the penalties for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. The Secretariat of Human Rights reported three prisoner deaths due to COVID-19 through September. The Office of the Inspector General of the Armed Forces and the Humanitarian Law Directorate investigated abuses by the military. The government lacks resources to investigate and prosecute cases; police often lack vehicles/fuel to respond to calls for assistance. Government Human Rights Bodies: A semiautonomous commissioner for human rights, Blanca Izaguirre, served as an ombudsperson and investigated complaints of human rights abuses. Civil society organizations criticized the governments failure to investigate threats adequately. Those planning travel to Gracias a Dios should consider postponing their travel. However, there can be communal tension over land ownership, natural resource allocation, and exploitation. Red Cross ambulance: 911, (504) 2227-7474 or (504) 2227-7575. These reporting centers were in addition to the 298 government-operated womens offices one in each municipality that provided a wide array of services to women, focusing on education, personal finance, health, social and political participation, environmental stewardship, and prevention of gender-based violence. Displaced Children: Civil society organizations reported that common causes of forced displacement for youth included death threats for failure to pay extortion, attempted recruitment by gangs, witnessing criminal activity by gangs or organized criminal groups, domestic violence, attempted kidnappings, family members involvement in drug dealing, victimization by traffickers, rape including commercial sexual exploitation by gangs, discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, sexual harassment, and discrimination for having a chronic medical condition. In cooperation with the UN Development Program (UNDP), the government operated consolidated reporting centers in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula where women could report crimes, seek medical and psychological attention, and receive other services. Around 191,000 people were internally displaced because of violence between 2004 and 2018, the government reported. Sexual Exploitation of Children: The commercial sexual exploitation of children, especially in sex trafficking, remained a problem. honduras crime and safety report 2021 - lafama.ro The ambulance does not have paramedics or emergency medical equipment; it functions solely as transport to hospitals. osac crime and safety report honduras - bagtical.com In July, the US released the Engel List, listing individuals from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala allegedly associated with corruption and undemocratic acts. Honduras - InSight Crime Major urban centers and drug trafficking routes experienced the highest rates of violence. In 2013, Honduras reformed the penal code to recognize femicide as a crime. Travelers should be aware, however, that the assistance the Embassy can provide is limited to making sure U.S. citizens are not treated differently from local detainees and providing them with a list of local attorneys. (white sedan taxis with a sticker on the windshield denoting its established route), (private white sedan taxis with no established routes), and, (small buses that pick up multiple riders). The law requires individuals and companies that employ more than 20 school-age children at their facilities to provide a location for a school. Weak state institutions and abuses by security forces have contributed to persistent gang violence. Such an order may be effective for up to six days, after which the judge must hold a pretrial hearing to examine whether there is probable cause to continue pretrial detention. Organized criminal groups, such as drug traffickers and local and transnational gangs including MS-13 and the 18th Street gang, committed killings, extortion, kidnappings, human trafficking, and intimidation of police, prosecutors, journalists, women, human rights defenders, and others. Additionally, illegal drugs are for sale in many of the popular tourist areas during the evening hours. CONAPREV conducted 138 visits to prisons as of September. The law prohibits employers from requiring pregnancy tests as a prerequisite for employment; penalties were not sufficient to deter violations. There have been multiple incidents of gang members destroying city buses and taxis, and reports that gang members rob, assault, rape, kidnap, or murder passengers. Impunity remains the norm. 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. Because labor inspectors continued to be concentrated in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, full labor inspections and follow-up visits to confirm compliance were far less frequent in other parts of the country. Gangs control some of the taxi services. The law requires overtime pay, bans excessive compulsory overtime, limits overtime to four hours a day for a maximum workday of 12 hours, and prohibits the practice of requiring workers to complete work quotas before leaving their place of employment. Share this via Printer. The law provides for criminal penalties for corruption by officials, but authorities did not implement the law effectively, and officials continued to engage in corrupt practices with impunity. Download the State Departments Crime Victims Assistance brochure. Review OSACs report, The limited capacity of the government to enforce international standards related to natural resource exploitation has resulted in higher levels of conflict in the extractive and electrical generation industries. Some companies also delayed appointing or failed to appoint representatives for required STSS-led mediation, a practice that prolonged the mediation process and impeded the right to strike. The National Human Rights Commission (CONADEH) reported 15 arbitrary or unlawful killings by security forces as of August. Forced labor occurred in street vending, domestic service, the transport of drugs and other illicit goods, other criminal activity, and the informal sector. Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. Civil unrest in Tegucigalpa and other parts of Honduras remains a constant challenge. The government generally respected these provisions. Reach the local police anywhere in Honduras by dialing 911. Honduras: Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report | Freedom House The criminal justice system regularly fails to hold accountable those responsible for crimes and abuses. Review OSACs report, Armed robberies, burglaries, vandalization, home invasions, and extortions occur; closely guarded officials, businesspersons, and diplomats are not immune. The Office of the Inspector General of the Armed Forces and the Humanitarian Law Directorate investigated and arrested members of the military accused of human rights abuses. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Tegucigalpa as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. drivers licenses, vehicle registration). By law all minors between the ages of 14 and 18 in most industries must receive special permission from the STSS to work, and the STSS must perform a home study to verify that there is an economic need for the child to work and that the child does not work outside the country or in hazardous conditions, including in offshore fishing. Honduras voted in favor of an OAS resolution rejecting Venezuelas December 2020 elections, which have been widely considered fraudulent. The law prohibits illicit association, defined as gatherings by persons bearing arms, explosive devices, or dangerous objects with the purpose of committing a crime, and prescribes prison terms of two to four years and a moderate fine for anyone who convokes or directs an illicit meeting or demonstration. Credible allegations of corruption in the STSS continued. U.S. Department of State. Best Buddies Turkey Ekibi; Videolar; Bize Ulan; honduras crime and safety report 2021 27 ub. In addition, Honduras is situated in an active seismic zone, so tremors are to be expected. Of those, 37,114 were deported from Mexico and 4,689 from the US. The U.S. Embassy has restricted U.S. government personnel travel to the Gracias a Dios Department in eastern Honduras because of credible threat information against U.S citizens. Cruise lines and port agencies offer approved tour companies offering packages. Honduras Travel Advisory - United States Department of State The law prohibits employment discrimination based on gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, political opinion or affiliation, marital status, race or ethnicity, national origin, language, place of residence, religion, family or economic situation, disability, or health. Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by government agents ; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious restrictions on free expression and . BTI 2022 Honduras Country Report Libel/Slander Laws: Citizens, including public officials, may initiate criminal proceedings for libel and slander. Honduras has the highest rate of femicidedefined as the killing of a woman by a man because of her genderin Latin America, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean reports. The Honduran government is modernizing some of the main transportation road networks to four-lane highways, which can lead to increased travel times because of ongoing construction. Police report for Feb. 27, 2023 | Crime | themercury.com Ethnic minority rights leaders, international NGOs, and farmworker organizations claimed the government failed to redress actions taken by security forces, government agencies, private individuals, and businesses to dislodge farmers and indigenous persons from lands over which they claimed ownership based on land reform law or ancestral land titles. To reduce overcrowding in response to the pandemic, the legislature approved alternatives to pretrial detention and judges have released more than 1,600 people. It also provides for paid national holidays and annual leave. The law also imposes prison sentences of up to two years, eight months for child labor violations that endanger the life or morality of a child age 16 or 17 and up to three years, four months for children younger than 16. Under the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework, with significant support from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the government continued to build capacity to provide services to vulnerable populations, including IDPs, those at risk of forced displacement, refugees, and returned migrants. The government failed to control pervasive gang-related violence and criminal activity within the prisons. In June 2021, the Inter-American Commision on Human Rights (IACHR) estimated a 90 percent rate of impunity for crimes committed against human rights defenders in Honduras. The incident allegedly occurred in a place of employment. honduras crime and safety report 2021 Hakkmzda. Honduras - United States Department of State HMCs lab was reviewed by the Regional Medical Laboratory Scientist and found to be up to U.S. standards and quality assurance practices. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. In security and domestic service sectors, workers were frequently forced to work more than 60 hours per week but paid only for 44 hours. In June 2020, Congress passed a new penal code that introduced the crime of internal displacement, punishing, with prison sentences of six to nine years, those who, through violence or intimidation, force someone to abandon or change their place of living. After 37 detainees were killed in a 2019 wave of gang violence, President Juan Orlando Hernndez declared a state of emergencyextended to December 2021and put prisons under military control. As a result of Honduran government efforts in close cooperation with the United States, homicide rates have fallen from 86.0 per 100,000 residents in 2012 to 43.6 per 100,000 at the end of 2019. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center estimated there were approximately 247,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to violence in the country as of 2020. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. In July, the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) and the IACHR urged the government to refrain from charging Garifuna women with damage, threats, theft, and usurpation of lands. Honduras' national police force is overseen by the Secretary of Security, which had 18,770 agents in 2020 and ambitious plans to reach 26000 by 2022. The government has an Office for Persons with Disabilities located within the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion, but its ability to provide services to persons with disabilities was limited. The government tasks CONAPREV with visiting prisons and making recommendations for protecting the rights of prisoners. In addition to complying with local laws, companies involved in natural resource extraction or energy generation should ensure they fully consult with communities in accordance with international standards. Local, Regional, and International Terrorism Threats/Concerns. The change increases the penalty from two to four years to four to six years. 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. The law prohibits the sale, distribution, and use of emergency contraception for any reason, including for survivors of sexual violence. The police, along with the Ministry of Defenses Military Public Order Police (PMOP), routinely establish checkpoints and review documentation (e.g. In October 2019, a thief stole the side view mirrors from a U.S. employees personally owned vehicle while it was parked on a side street near the Embassy. Reports of kidnappings of U.S. citizens are not common, with zero reports for 2019. Most child labor occurred in rural areas. Reach the local police anywhere in Honduras by dialing, . Review OSACs report, Surviving a Protest. The security situation is expected to continue to deteriorate in 2020 and 2021. Violators face penalties of one to three years in prison and possible suspension of their professional licenses, but the government did not effectively enforce the law. Nevertheless, social discrimination against racial and ethnic groups persisted, as did physical violence. Many inspectors asked workers to provide them with transportation so that they could conduct inspections, since the STSS could not pay for travel to worksites. NGOs have reported anonymous attacks via social media, alleging that civil society actors are engaged in, or supportive of, criminal activity in Honduras. These workshops are part of a multiphase effort to promote transparency, cooperation,. The government did not effectively enforce the law. Honduras | Food Safety and Inspection Service Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment Other Investment Policy Reviews Business Facilitation Outward Investment 2. Traffic signs, even on major highways, are often inadequate; streets are often unmarked even in major cities. Many of these U.S. citizens are church and humanitarian aid volunteers working throughout the country, including in gang-controlled neighborhoods. The country was a destination for child sex tourism, particularly in the tourist area of the Bay Islands. However, protesters will also block, key intercity transportation routes and intracity intersections with burning tires, rocks and other debris, to include the roads leading to the international airports in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, and the CA-5 and CA-11 highways. They called for implementation of protective measures. Would you like to continue with this session or log out? honduras crime and safety report 2021 - kbspas.com