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. Well Public transportation can be alittle trickyin Honduras, and its not always safe. 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. Access to health care services was a concern in Honduras prior to the pandemic, particularly for rural and economically marginalized communities. Investigating organized crime is an expensive and often risky enterprise. In January 2020, the government shut down the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). The storms, among other shocks, led to higher levels of food scarcity while weakening the states capacity to cope with displacement. Part 1: Cycles of violence in Honduras - Doctors Without Borders Your laptop deserves a proper pack, and we know a good few! Its just better to have a local driver drive you around. Gangs exercise territorial control over neighborhoods and extort residents throughout the country. 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. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. Here is available the most popular Honduras Newspapers list. Please donate. It might sound like paradiseBut it isnt. Category 5 hurricanes Eta and Iota hit Honduras in November 2020 and have had enduring impacts on farmersand the public generallyby destroying subsistence farms, killing livestock by the hundreds of thousands and reducing agricultural production. Honduras Private Sector and Anti-Extortion Police: An Unholy Alliance? By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. 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. There is no such thing as a perfect safety guide, and this article is no different. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Inside Gang Territory in Honduras: 'Either They Kill Us or We Kill Them Escaped inmates from Scott County captured in Newton There are some safety pointsthat travelers should know for anywhere they travel, but Honduras requires these special considerations. And people do go. Make sure to check the reviews from previous travellers to check for any problems during their stay. 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. There is limited data on the effectiveness of the program in Honduras. The government of Honduras is committed to attracting more tourists. It can get SUPER hot in Honduras. 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. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. 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. The men remained missing at time of writing. 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. In September, the OHCHR and IACHR expressed concern regarding the continued spread of the virus in prisons. At the same time, we need to acknowledge that it will take time for systems to change, but families across Honduras cannot waitthey have immediate needs to be safe and secure. 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. January 26, 2022 At a glance Population: 10.1 million 2.8 million people in need of humanitarian aid Garza is wanted in Honduras for homicide. In September, two men shot and killed journalist Luis Alonzo Almendares in Comayagua. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. The information present in this safety guide was accurate at the time of writing, however, the world is a changeable place, now more than ever. 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. Earlier this year, Honduras appeared set to follow an example set by another neighbor, Nicaragua, whose community-based policing approach was for years hailed for maintaining exceptionally low crime rates and minimal gang presence until the government turned the police into a repressive force against the people amid widespread protests in 2018. This year a crew member of a cruise ship was murdered on Roatan and that combined with the mainland of the country being used by cartels as part of the drug pipeline to the U.S., plus the current immigration crisis on the U.S. border all together add up to bad press for the country of Honduras. Every year, more than 100,000 Hondurans are internally displaced, migrate, seek protection abroad, or are deported back to Honduras. In March 2020, the government declared a state of emergency in response to the pandemic, imposing a lockdown and restricting movement and freedom of expression. How Gangs Control Honduras - YouTube 0:00 / 11:46 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. The government bans emergency contraception, known as the morningafter pill, which can prevent pregnancy after rape, unprotected sex, or contraceptive failure. Between 2005 and 2019, 34 percent of women who were 20-24 years old had married when they were 15-19, the UN Population Fund reported in 2020. Will Honduras Win The Fight Against Corruption? - Forbes Dont hitchhike ortake lifts from strangers , Other ways to meet fellow travelers and. EIN number 13-5660870. Living in Honduras means youll have to adjust your life to the way of life here. We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. Honduras is one of the Western Hemisphere's deadliest countries for journalists, with security forces representing their biggest threat, Reporters Without Borders noted in 2021. 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. 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. Tegucigalpa. Impunity for human rights abuses, violent crime, and corruption remains the norm, even as the prison population has mushroomed. Investigations were underway at time of writing. The story 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison was published by the Associated Press on 2022-07-04 18:29:24. Honduran illegal immigrant who lied to border authorities sentenced in Honduras Reports 'Historic' Coca Seizure | Breaking News App by Shore And that is pretty cool. Not really. Get the latest news about the IRC's innovative programs, compelling stories about our clients and how you can make a difference. Visiting Honduras right now is as safe as it ever was:not very. Escaped inmates from Scott County captured in Newton Its a mix of European, indigenous and Caribbean influence, and youll love it. Share this via Reddit Im nervous, repeated a young police officer driving a pickup truck crowded with heavily armed special forces officers. But if the peace in the condemning nations were to rupture the way it has in El Salvador and Honduras, we can bet they . Security forces committed abuses while enforcing a nationwide Covid-19 lockdown that President Juan Orlando Hernndez imposed in March. Women, children, the LGBTQ+ community, and returnees face ever growing conflict and risks, from the effects of climate change to the impacts of COVID-19 and violenceat home and on the streets.. STANTON COUNTY, Neb. In 2018, the last year for which statistics are available, 60 percent of perpetrators were domestic partners. Gangs attacking other gangs. Your little ones get to see the Mesoamerican Reef,thesecond largest barrier reef in the world. Sat Navs might not always tell you the best route. The first 2,000 inmates were transferred to El Salvador's new mega-prison for hardcore gangbangers. Thats why we listed the no-go areas in Honduras below. A quarter of women and girls become pregnant before turning 18the second-highest rate in Latin America. Honduras: Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report | Freedom House 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. Honduras declares state of emergency against gang crime The vaccine doses arrived in the Honduran capital on October 4 2021. After a 2019 wave of gang violence that killed 37 detainees, President Hernndez declared a state of emergency and put prisons under military control. Dont expect to discover an undeveloped private island. The new criminal code decriminalized defamation, but retains other crimes of honorincluding insult and slanderwhich have been used to prosecute journalists in the past. FILE PHOTO: Police raid a house after Honduras' President Xiomara Castro (not pictured) mobilised . (Reporting by Orfa Mejia in Tegucigalpa; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Leslie Adler). Honduras declares state of emergency against gang crime | AP News Jesse Watters: Buying mace in Manhattan is almost as hard as getting a gun. As a result, humanitarian needs for food, health, nutrition and protection have increased. 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. Many people do travel to this particular part of Honduras,even with their families. Honduras has the misfortune of being situated between South American cocaine production and U.S. drug consumption. 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). Nope. There are definitely a fair few pros to solo travel. So how do they do it?. As the camera rolled, the police began stopping vehicles passing by in the background, running ID cards and frisking occupants. Already vulnerable people in Honduras live in an evolving humanitarian crisis, says IRC protection coordinator Zuleyma Chahin. If you use our guide, do your own research, and practise common sense, you will have a safe trip to Honduras. The effort comes amid complaints by business owners, the transportation sector and ordinary Hondurans that extortion by criminals has risen in recent months. 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. Classes were broadcast on television, radio, and online, in some cases with assignments sent via Whatsapp. There are quite a few cute Airbnbs in Honduras, and as long as you stay in one of the safer neighborhoods, wed say that renting an Airbnb is perfectly safe. Gangsplay a big part of life here. People are frisked in Tegucigalpa on 26 November. Poor health infrastructure and limited access to sanitation services has contributed to the spread of the virus. 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. We are on the frontlines providing critical aid to crisis-affected people in more than 40 countries, including places on the 2022 Emergency Watchlist. The crime rates are improving and the government is putting a lot of effort into attracting more tourists. So keep that in mind and have a read of our safety tips for solo female travelers thinking of taking a trip to Honduras. However, More than2 million touristsvisited in 2017. People live here with children, by themselves, as couples, some retire here, and some people have even started up their own hostelsor otherbusinesses. Seth Sidney Berry / SOPA Images/Sipa USA (Sipa via AP Images), Share this via Facebook 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. Honduras - Organized Crime News - InSight Crime World Report 2022: Honduras | Human Rights Watch One good thing I can say about Roatan is that the dive sites are excellent around the island.