Regulations for implementing the law remained under development as of September. Impunity, however, remained a serious problem, with significant delays in some prosecutions and sources alleging corruption in judicial proceedings. Trying again, focused this time on crime, he was . The COVID-19 lockdown and curfew affected sex workers income and further exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. Honduras is somewhat safe to visit, though it has many dangers. The government investigated and prosecuted many of these crimes, particularly through the national polices Violent Crimes Task Force. Police arrested Ramon David Zelaya Hernandez on July 4 and Edward David Zalavarria Galeas on July 6 as the two main suspects in the killings. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Section 5. Organized-crime 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, business community members, journalists, bloggers, women, and other vulnerable populations. The law mandates that the Supreme Auditing Tribunal monitor and verify disclosures. 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 During 2021, a total of 342 femicides were recorded in Honduras. Poverty rates are higher among rural and indigenous people and in the south, west, and along the eastern border than in the north . CRIME AND INSECURITY IN GUATEMALA JULY 2020 | 8 CRIME AND INSECURITY IN GUATEMALA Evaluating State Capacity to Reduce Violence and Combat Organized Crime THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN GUATEMALA In Guatemala, organized crime has been a problem for decades. While all formal workers are entitled to social security, there were reports that both public- and private-sector employers failed to pay into the social security system. Pretrial Detention: Judicial inefficiency, corruption, and insufficient resources delayed proceedings in the criminal justice system, and lengthy pretrial detention was a serious problem. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her bid for a second term Tuesday, failing to make a top-two runoff in the latest demonstration of growing concerns about crime in one of the nation's largest . Authorities did not generally segregate those with tuberculosis or other infectious diseases from the general prison population; as of September the INP reported 153 prisoners were being treated for tuberculosis. U.S. citizens have been the victims of a wide range of crimes, including murder, kidnapping, rape, assault, and property crimes. The law prohibits the use of children younger than 18 for exhibitions or performances of a sexual nature or in the production of pornography. The law provides for freedom of association, and the government generally respected this right. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings, c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees, f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence. The law requires a judge to issue an eviction order for individuals occupying public and private property if security forces have not evicted the individuals within a specified period of time. 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. Penalties include prison sentences of up to five years and monetary fines. These reporting centers were in addition to the 298 government-operated womens officesone in each municipalitythat 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. Children often worked on melon, coffee, okra, and sugarcane plantations as well as in other agricultural production; scavenged at garbage dumps; worked in the forestry, hunting, and fishing sectors; worked as domestic servants; peddled goods such as fruit; begged; washed cars; hauled goods; and labored in limestone quarrying and lime production. The West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Autonomous University of Honduras Violence Observatory reported 13 arbitrary or unlawful killings by security forces during the year. Arbitrary Arrest: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government instituted a national curfew, suspending constitutional provisions and limiting the free movement of individuals. In response to the pervasive violence in the prison system, the government declared an emergency in the National Penitentiary System in December 2019. Mental health professionals expressed concern about social stigma by families and communities against persons with mental disabilities and a lack of access to mental health care throughout the country. According to the Global Cybercrime Report, the United States reached the prominent third-best position with a Cyber-Safety Score of 8.73. Coercion in Population Control: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. This report provides a snapshot of events during 2021 relevant to countries designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism. TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK : HIGH Public transport is highly risky in Honduras. The law permits strikes by workers in export-processing zones and free zones for companies that provide services to industrial parks, but it requires that strikes not impede the operations of other factories in such parks. On November 23, the court halted the presentation of evidence hearing after the defense filed an appeal. The law grants workers the right to form and join unions of their choice, bargain collectively, and strike. The government considers rape a crime of public concern, and the state prosecutes rapists even if victims do not press charges. The Autonomous University of Honduras Violence Observatory reported 13 arbitrary or unlawful killings by security forces during the year. Prisoners suffered from overcrowding, insufficient access to food and water, violence, and alleged abuse by prison officials. The Office of the Inspector General of the Armed Forces and the Humanitarian Law Directorate investigated abuses by the military. On August 5, an appeals court dismissed charges against 22 defendants indicted in the so-called Pandora case, a 2013 scheme that allegedly funneled 289.4 million lempiras ($12 million) in government agricultural funds to political campaigns. Honduras' highest judicial body is the Supreme Court of Justice, which includes chambers for constitutional, criminal and civil cases. Castillo was returning from the market at 3:30 p.m. when a police officer arrested her for violating the curfew, even though the curfew did not start until 7:00 p.m. Castillo said the arrest was a reprisal for an encounter a few days previously, when Castillo confronted the officer who was attempting to expel a vendor from a park. According to the secretariat, the system had a designed capacity for approximately 10,600 inmates. On November 15, 2017, the State of Honduras invited the IACHR to visit Honduras to analyze the human rights situation in the country. Nongovernmental Impact: Some journalists and other members of civil society reported threats from members of organized-crime groups. Persons from indigenous and Afro-descendant communities continued to experience discrimination in employment, education, housing, and health services. The collapse of this empire left the territories of what we now understand to be Central America, to split off into separate regions. The Violence Observatory reported 55 killings of women from March 15 to June 6, compared with 102 for the same period in 2019. Abuse of Migrants, Refugees, and Stateless Persons: Transiting migrants and asylum seekers with pending cases were vulnerable to abuse by criminal organizations. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process, Section 4. Police were investigating the killings. On June 11, alleged members of the 18th Street gang in the National Womens Penitentiary in Tegucigalpa killed six alleged members of the MS-13 gang. Major urban centers and drug-trafficking routes experienced the highest rates of violence. The government had a nascent system to provide protection to refugees. The government did not effectively enforce the law. By comparison, the United States has a global safety ranking of 128. Police later arrested the guard accused of killing Alvarez. The armed forces, which report to the Secretariat of Defense, are responsible for external security but also exercise some domestic security responsibilities in a supporting role to the national police and other civilian authorities. See the Department of States International Religious Freedom Report at https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/. Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes all forms of rape of women or men, including spousal rape. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. Yes, despite all the historical crime and violence, which don't affect tourists, El Salvador is safe to visit in 2023. Five other cases were under investigation. The Public Ministry created a new anticorruption unit, the Special Prosecution Unit against Corruption Networks, which is charged with pursuing MACCIH legacy corruption cases. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to two main gangs : Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18. In January 2020, the president announced the dismantling of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (Misin de Apoyo Contra la Corrupcin y la Impunidad en Honduras, MACCIH), which was backed by the Organization of American States (OAS). Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2018 was 38.93, a 5.01% decline from 2017. The constitution provides for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association. The Supreme Court of Justice cited the presence of MACCIH personnel during Public Ministry investigations, including in the execution of search warrants in violation of the law. In all of 2019, the STSS levied fines of more than 38.1 million lempiras ($1.58 million) but collected only 755,000 lempiras ($31,300). Updated: 7 hours ago. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reported that authorities at times failed to enforce these requirements effectively. Josue Alvarado allegedly shot Marvin Alvarado after a heated discussion over Marvin Alvarados failure to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law places restrictions on these rights, such as requiring that a recognized trade union represent at least 30 workers, prohibiting foreign nationals from holding union offices, and requiring that union officials work in the same substantive area of the business as the workers they represent. CONAPREV reported 27 prisoner deaths due to COVID-19 through August. Persons with disabilities, indigenous and Afro-Honduran persons, LGBTI persons, and persons with HIV or AIDS also faced discrimination in employment and occupation (see section 6). 10. The Public Ministrys Office of the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights handled cases involving charges of human rights abuses by government officials. Honduras's peak of violent crime was in 2012, where the country experienced about 20 homicides per day, typically carried out by gun-toting gangs such as Barrio 18 or Mara Salvatrucha. 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. The Secretariat of Human Rights noted an exponential increase in gender-based violence and domestic violence during the national curfew. Official data on forced internal displacement was limited in part because gangs controlled many of the neighborhoods that were sources of internal displacement (see section 6, Displaced Children). NGOs reported irregularities, including problems with voter rolls, buying and selling of electoral workers credentials, and lack of transparency in campaign financing. You can add more than one country or area. During the year the National Anticorruption Council reported numerous irregularities in the purchase of emergency medical supplies during the pandemic. Estimates of the number of children younger than 18 in the countrys workforce ranged from 370,000 to 510,000. Although it is outside the period of study for this report, it is worth noting that the reduction of penalties for violent crimes against women included in the new Criminal Code (adopted in 2018) sends a contradictory message from the government in its ight . Lori Lightfoot rode into the Chicago mayor's office in 2019 as a reform candidate, offering a break from the city's clubby political scene while making history as the first Black Deportation, Circular Migration and Organized Crime Honduras Case Study; Download the Publication; Honduras: Information Gathering Mission Report; Violence in Honduras: an Analysis of the Failure in Public Security and the State'S Response to Criminality; Opendocpdf.Pdf; Honduras Elites and Organized Crime; Honduras 2019 Crime & Safety Report These conditions contributed to an unstable, dangerous environment in the penitentiary system. Preliminary data published by the countries in the region comprising Central America and the Dominican Republic shows that there were fewer homicides in 2020 than in 2019. Many prisoners had access to weapons and other contraband, inmates attacked other inmates with impunity, and inmates and their associates outside prison threatened prison officials and their families. Source: MY 2020: IHCAFE's Annual Report 2019/2020, MY 2021: IHCAFE Statistical Bulletin 05/04/2021 As of May 4th, 2021 about 4.13 million . 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. Low salaries and a lack of internal controls rendered judicial officials susceptible to bribery, although the Supreme Court significantly raised salaries during the year and made improvements in transparency. Number of. Section 1. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor, c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment, d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation. Ensuring that critical security information is shared with those who need it, when they need it, OSAC is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer constituents' questions with expert analysis of rapidly evolving security challenges overseas. Peace Brigades International (PBI) reported more than 34,000 persons were detained for violating the curfew. Several anonymous social media sites, possibly linked to political parties, criticized journalists (as well as activists and civil society organizations) who were critical of the government or opposition party policies. World Bank statistics put net enrollment for primary school above 90 percent, but the National Center for Social Sector Information stated that 43 percent of persons with disabilities received no formal education. The STSS may levy a fine against companies that fail to pay social security obligations, but the amount was not sufficient to deter violations. Children often worked alongside family members in agriculture and other work, such as fishing, construction, transportation, and small businesses. The law permits defendants to confront witnesses against them and offer witnesses and evidence in their defense. The emergency decree instituted the Interinstitutional Force as an auditing commission for the penitentiary system. The Honduran National Police maintain internal security and report to the Secretariat of Security. 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. DIDADPOL conducted internal investigations of HNP members in a continuation of the police purge begun in 2016. They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining, b. Many prisons lacked sufficient security personnel. In-country Movement: Under the national curfew from March 16, the government limited freedom of movement by allowing individuals to move outside their homes one day every two weeks. On July 18, heavily armed men kidnapped five men from their homes in the town of Triunfo de la Cruz. The prosecution may request an additional six-month extension, but many detainees remained in pretrial detention much longer, including for more time than the maximum period of incarceration for their alleged crime. ; Children and Adolescents - Honduras has the highest youth homicide rate in the world. Powerful special interests, including organized-crime groups, exercised influence on the outcomes of some court proceedings. 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. According to the Center for the Investigation and Promotion of Human Rights, on March 24, police arbitrarily detained Evelyn Johana Castillo, sub-coordinator of the Womens Network of Ojojona and member of the National Network of Defenders of Human Rights. There was no information available on any major industrial accidents. Nearly 3.3 million people, or one in three Hondurans, were experiencing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by late 2021. The law provides for an independent judiciary, but the justice system was poorly funded and staffed, inadequately equipped, often ineffective, and subject to intimidation, corruption, politicization, and patronage. Despite the emergency decree, CONAPREV reported that violence in the prison system continued unabated. The law states that a womans employment should be appropriate according to her physical state and capacity. Organized-crime organizations, 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, and human rights defenders. carnival miracle refurbishment 2020; shkola season 1 episode 2 english subtitles; appleseed townhomes huber heights; once popular resort area in the catskills nyt crossword 0. . By law women have equal access to educational opportunities. Recent Elections: In December 2017 Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party was declared the winner in the November elections. The whereabouts of four Indigenous Garifuna members of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) forcibly disappeared in July 2020 remained unknown. Around 191,000 people were. As of December 2020, internally displaced people in Honduras represented almost 80 percent of the internally displaced population in Central America and Mexico. This was the result of strong legislation, low cybersecurity exposure (how exposed the digital infrastructure is) and the exceptional top score at the Global Cybersecurity Index, one of the six indices taken . The tribunal published its reports on its website and cited the names of public officials who did not comply with the disclosure law. The IACHR conducted its visit between July 30 and August 3, 2018. The Secretariat of Human Rights served as an effective advocate for human rights within the government. On January 10, unknown assailants shot and killed Tolupan indigenous leader Vicente Saavedra in Morazan, Yoro Department. The number of inspections dropped severely from 2019 as a result of the national curfew imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The constitution prohibits practicing clergy from running for office or participating in political campaigns. Honduras 2020 Crime & Security Report this is an annual report produced in collaboration with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy. Forced labor occurred in street vending, domestic service, the transport of drugs and other illicit goods, other criminal activity, and the informal sector. On January 9, 2018, the Honduran State confirmed the on-site visit to Honduras on the dates proposed by the IACHR. With high rates of impunity, including 90 percent for killings of women in the last 15 years according to the Violence Observatory, civil society groups reported that women often did not report domestic violence, or withdrew the charges, because they feared or were economically dependent on the aggressor. The law prohibits all of the worst forms of child labor. Honduras remains one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the Western Hemisphere. The government maintained the Interinstitutional Commission for the Protection of Persons Displaced by Violence and created the Directorate for the Protection of Persons Internally Displaced by Violence within the Secretariat of Human Rights. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (OBWC) Administrator John Logue announced today that the state's private employers will pay nearly $90 million less The government used pretrial detention centers to hold high-profile suspects and those in need of additional security. The IACHR expressed concern in 2019 regarding the "critical levels of. The law applies equally to citizens and foreigners, regardless of gender, and prescribes a maximum eight-hour shift per day for most workers, a 44-hour workweek, and at least one 24-hour rest period for every six days of work. DOUGLAS COUNTY The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has released the results of the Click-It or Ticket Enforcement Campaign which took place between Jan. 30 and Feb. 12. The Secretariat of Human Rights stated it was taking every precaution to protect prisoners rights and assure that the work provided opportunities for prisoners to develop skills they could use in legal economic activities after their release. The law prohibits police from unionizing (see section 7.a.). In terms of murder rate, it's the second most violent country in Central or South America, trailing only Venezuela. With offices throughout the country, the ombudsman received cases that otherwise might not have risen to national attention. The law does not authorize pretrial detention for crimes with a maximum sentence of five years or less. 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 continued to prosecute individuals allegedly involved in the 2016 killing of environmental and indigenous activist Berta Caceres. Political Parties and Political Participation: Civil society and opposition parties accused officials of using government resources to attract voters. The law provides citizens the right to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on nearly universal and equal suffrage. Women - Honduras has the fifth-highest rate of violence against women in the world. Subscribe to the Ojai Valley News. The Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH) reported 28 cases of alleged torture by security forces through September, while the Public Ministry received three such reports. 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. The law provides for freedom of peaceful assembly, and the government generally respected this right. In many industries, including agriculture, cleaning, and security, employers did not respect maternity rights or pay minimum wage, overtime, or vacation. You should be aware that tourist hotspots, public transportation and some streets are places where most thefts and pickpocketing occur, and that violent crime exists on the streets, too. If a victims physical injuries do not reach the severity required to categorize the violence as a criminal act, the legal penalty for a first offense is a sentence of one to three months of community service. Under the new inspection law, the STSS has the authority temporarily to shut down workplaces where there is an imminent danger of fatalities; however, there were not enough trained inspectors to deter violations sufficiently. The accused has the right to an initial hearing before a judge, to ask for bail, consult with legal counsel in a timely manner, have a lawyer provided by the state if necessary, and request an appeal. Add data for Roatan Consider looking into aggregate data we have for Crime in Honduras Crime 0 120 51.16 Crime rates in Roatan, Honduras Safety in Roatan, Honduras Contributors: 7 Last update: October 2022 These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years. 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. 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. COFADEH reported an increase of complaints regarding the use of excessive and disproportionate force by security forces under the national curfew. A: Fans well remember the 1965-69 adventure series starring Robert Conrad Occupational safety and health standards were current but not effectively enforced. Discrimination: Although the law accords women and men the same legal rights and status, including property rights in divorce cases, many women did not fully enjoy such rights. In addition, women experienced delays in accessing justice due to police who failed to process complaints in a timely manner or judicial system officials who deferred scheduling hearings. The PBI reported an incident on April 23 near Tela, Atlantida Department, involving the alleged use of live rounds by police in response to a protest, injuring two individuals. Media reported prison riots and violent confrontations between gang members in prisons throughout the year. Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights, Section 6. In the agricultural sector, companies frequently paid less than minimum wage to most workers, with fewer than 1 percent of agricultural workers receiving the minimum wage. The law does not permit active members of the military or civilian security forces to vote. Nevertheless, social discrimination against LGBTI persons persisted, as did physical violence. These INP-administered centers were on military installations and received some support services from the military. The Organization of American States (OAS) and EU observer teams agreed the margin of victory separating incumbent president Hernandez from challenger Salvador Nasralla was extremely narrow. Transgender women were particularly vulnerable to employment and education discrimination; many could find employment only as sex workers, increasing their vulnerability to violence and extortion. Government Human Rights Bodies: A semiautonomous commissioner for human rights, Roberto Herrera Caceres, served as an ombudsman and investigated complaints of human rights abuses. There is also a Human Rights Committee in the National Congress. The law allows persons charged with some felonies to avail themselves of bail and gives prisoners the right of prompt access to family members. (72 percent of these resulted in a conviction). Honduras recorded 3,496 murders in 2020. Some larger cities have police forces that operate independently of the national police and report to municipal authorities. Also see the Department of Labors Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings and the Department of Labors List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods.