However, Honduran law enforcement authorities ability to prevent, respond to, and investigate criminal incidents and prosecute criminals is limited. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. An official website of the United States Government, Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. HMCs lab was reviewed by the Regional Medical Laboratory Scientist and found to be up to U.S. standards and quality assurance practices. Most crime victims are members of rival gangs, small business owners who resist gang extortion, passengers on public transportation, or those involved in land tenure disputes. 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. The public transportation sector is a regular target of extortion, and experiences higher levels of homicide than many other sectors. 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. In 2012, a U.S. citizen reported that his boat was boarded and his passengers were the victims of an armed robbery while sailing in Honduran waters near Puerto Cortes, three miles north of Punta Sal. The law on safe houses, which has been stalled in the National Congress since 2018, aims to recognize and fund safe houses to provide care for survivors of multiple forms of violence, ensuring. Violent crime is a serious issue in the entire country, with crimes such as kidnappings, rape, assaults, and murders. These efforts included identifying more victims of labor trafficking, including children forced to commit unlawful acts, and increasing funding for the Inter-institutional Commission to Combat Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking in Persons (CICESCT). . Earlier. In addition, a lack of implementing regulations leads to long delays in the awarding of titles in some regions. Until his life grew increasingly violent. Since 2012, the Honduran government signed agreements with Transparency International, the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative, and the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. The governments disaggregated victim data included some victims of related crimes such as child pornography; all identified victims were Honduran citizens and included 43 children and 24 adults, 56 females and 10 males, and one LGBTQI+ individual. Congressional Research Service - Honduras - 2019, 2020. Individuals should also limit the sharing of personal information and closely screen personal employees. Incidents of crime along roads, including carjacking and kidnapping, are common in Honduras. To find out more about the results of our work in this area and in others, read the UNSDG Chair's report on the Office for Development Coordination. ", expressed the UN Resident Coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, on Twitter. Review OSACs reports, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. Honduras is one of the murder capitals of the world. 2.2. One U.S. citizen was reported kidnapped between January and September 2013.. Index; Crime Index: 51.16: Safety Index: 48.84: Crime rates in Roatan, Honduras. The location and timing of criminal activity are unpredictable. Review the State Departments webpage on insurance overseas. According to the Honduran Commission for Human Rights (Conadeh), 75 people died in attacks against the public transport service in Honduras between January and July 2019. Municipalities With the Highest Number of Homicides, 600 500 400 478 300 410 200 100 251 112 101 100 94 69 61 56 54 54 54 53 50 45 41 40 37 35 0, January to December 2019, Secretariat of Security Honduran National Police, Honduran Municipalities With Highest Percentage of Homicides 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0%, Honduran Municipalities With Highest Percentage of Homicides. Review OSACs report, All That You Should Leave Behind. Visas - Most countries do not need a visa in order to enter Honduras for any stays shorter than 30 days.Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months past your date of arrival. According to InSight Crime, the crime rate has decreased by 26%, which is what the Honduran government is aiming to work on if they expect more visitors per year. According to the International Rescue Committee, femicides are a major concern in Honduras. The U.S. Embassy strongly discourages intercity car and bus travel after dark. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us. Avoid non-essential travel to the following areas and departments due to instances of violent crime, increased gang activity and violent demonstrations: within 20 km of the border with Guatemala with the exception of Copn Ruinas. Review OSACs reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Departments webpage on driving and road safety abroad. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2011 Global Study on Homicide, Honduras has the highest per capita homicide rate in the world, with 86 homicides for every 100,000 inhabitants. In past years, several U.S. citizens have been murdered in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba shortly after arriving in the country. I was housebound. Embassy employees and others have experienced skimming at well- known restaurants, hotels, and retailers. The government places specially trained police forces in areas tourists frequent (e.g. Traffickers exploit Honduran women and children in sex trafficking within the country and in other countries such as Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. U.S. citizens in Honduras on U.S. government orders are only allowed to visit the Basilica of Suyapa with an organized tour group that provides armed security for the group. These areas are well known for narcotics smuggling and violence. Home. "Two years ago, I came asking for help at a time when I couldn't take it anymore, to the extent that I intended to attempt against my life, with no hope for anything. Except in some very rural locations, police are aware of a U.S. citizen detainee's right to contact the Embassy. . Many of these U.S. citizens are church and humanitarian aid volunteers working throughout the country, including in gang-controlled neighborhoods. Kidnappings have occurred in recent years, with large ransoms paid and infrequent capture of the kidnappers. Download Historical Data. While hurricane winds are a concern, much of the damage to infrastructure comes as a result of the ensuing flooding and rock/mudslides. Coordinator for the Arctic Region, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Office of International Religious Freedom, Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of the Science and Technology Adviser, Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Bureau of Information Resource Management, Office of Management Strategy and Solutions, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. The Secretariat of Labor and Social Security (STSS) monitored and regulated compliance with labor laws and policies that could decrease workers vulnerability to trafficking, including those regulating private employment agencies and establishing protections for vulnerable classes of workers such as domestic workers, seafarers, and temporary workers in Canada; however, the government did not provide details on enforcement. There are few U.S.- educated physicians in Tegucigalpa. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of the U.S. Review the State Departments webpage on security for travelers with disabilities. A significant percentage of vehicles are in disrepair, underpowered, beyond their lifecycle, and would not meet U.S. road safety standards. Crimes against U.S. citizens in the past year have ranged from petty theft to violent offenses, including armed robbery, home invasion, sexual assault, and several instances of murder and attempted murder. Instruct the driver not to pick up other passengers, agree on the fare before you depart, and have small bills available for payment, as taxi drivers often do not make change. The municipalities in which kidnappings were reported include: Districto Central (4), Jacaleapa (1), Trojes (1), Siguatepeque (1), Puerto Cortes (1), Lejamani (1), Tocoa (1), Tela (1), and Comayagua (1). During July 2019 alone, the cities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa recorded 11 attacks leaving 15 people dead, mostly taxi drivers and bus drivers. It is not only women who must strengthen a social movement that contributes to breaking gender stereotype paradigms and cycles of sexism that lead to gender-based violence. Honduran regulations prohibited charging recruitment fees to workers, but the government did not report enforcement of these regulations in 2020. Medical care is limited. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2017 was 40.98, a 26.23% decline from 2016. DOS: Northern Triangle Country Conditions: Ranking the Highest and Lowest Areas of Reported, Homicides, Disappearances, and Extortion - May 2019. These penalties were sufficiently stringent. Fire Department operations: +504-2231-1667. The UN takes all reports of possible wrongdoing seriously. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Lima as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. In accordance with the governments intersectoral protocol on victim protection, CICESCT coordinated with relevant government institutions and NGOs to provide additional services to victims, including mental health counseling, legal services, medical care, lodging, food, family reintegration, and repatriation. Reach the local police anywhere in Honduras by dialing 911. Counterfeit Honduran lempiras (currency) are common, especially in the 100 and 500 denominations. You are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. CICESCT and the anti-trafficking prosecution unit each operated trafficking-specific hotlines that functioned throughout the pandemic. This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa. The Basilica of Suyapa in Tegucigalpa, also known as Suyapa Church or Cathedral, is an important religious site and popular tourist destination. Honduras has the highest femicide rate in the Latin American region, with6.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. If you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need visa based on your nationality and the country you want to visit. As a result, there is no longer free travel between Honduras and Nicaragua. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Local law allows the police to detain someone for up to 24 hours for administrative processing. It is urgent to pass the law on safe houses where women who manage to get away from violent situations are taken care of. The government has established a special tourist police in the resort town of Tela and other tourist destinations including Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, and Roatan, but the number of tourist police deployed is small and coverage is limited. The government did not provide an update on its investigation of alleged sexual exploitation of a female prisoner in a correctional facility from the previous year. Cruise lines and port agencies offer approved tour companies offering packages. Honduras Country Report 2022. . Is Honduras Safe to Travel Alone Traveling solo is becoming more popular and within Latin America, more people including myself have set out to travel alone. According to a report published in June 2020 by the Network Against Anti-Union Violence, 36 trade unionists were murdered between 2009 and 2019. Additionally, illegal drugs are for sale in many of the popular tourist areas during the evening hours. Officials from several ministries conducted additional trainings and awareness-raising activities with support from NGOs and international organizations. There are an estimated 7,000-10,000 gang members in a country with an approximate population of ten million people. Gangs are not reluctant to use violence, and specialize in murder-for-hire, carjacking, extortion, and other violent street crime. Honduran law prohibited the prosecution of victims for unlawful acts traffickers compelled them to commit. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) was created in 1985 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to promote security cooperation between American private-sector interests worldwide and the U.S. Department of State. The last two years have shone an unflattering light . Consider looking into aggregate data we have for Crime in Honduras. The San Pedro Sula area has seen armed robberies against tourist vans, minibuses, and cars traveling from the airport to area hotels. Criminal organizations, including gangs, exploit girls in sex trafficking, force children into street begging, and coerce and threaten children and young adults to transport weapons, sell drugs, commit extortion, or serve as lookouts; this occurred primarily in urban areas, but one NGO reported an increase in gang activity in rural areas. Although Copan, Roatan/Bay Islands, and other tourist destinations have a lower crime rate than other parts of the country, thefts, break-ins, assaults, and murders do occur. Honduras has a high homicide rate, with a murder rate of 36 people per 100,000 in 2020. Natalia Lozano is a Honduran lawyer, working in the fields of human, women's, LGBT, and youth rights as the Honduran National Coordinator of Right Here Right Now. Two U.S. citizens reported incidents of rape or sexual assault between January and September 2013. Amend the penal code to ensure the penalties prescribed for trafficking crimes are commensurate with the penalties prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. Counterfeit U.S. currency is also common. OSAC has developed into an enormously successful joint venture, with U.S. companies and organizations receiving the tools they need to cope with security issues in a . My appreciation and congratulations to Ana Cruz and the fantastic work of safe houses! Please check your download folder. Anyone with information is strongly encouraged to report the matter. Article 219 of the Honduran penal code, which came into effect in June 2020, criminalized sex and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties of five to eight years imprisonment. Crime is widespread in Honduras and requires a high degree of caution by U.S. visitors and residents alike. and the scope of organized crime in Honduras. Traffickers particularly target LGBTQI+ Hondurans, migrants, IDPs, persons with disabilities, children in child labor, children whose parents have migrated, and individuals living in areas controlled by organized criminal groups. In 2011, a Canadian citizen was killed in a similar incident. The government allocated insufficient funds for implementation of the plan and relevant agencies relied on additional support from foreign donors to implement its activities. 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. Following anticorruption protests in 2015, President Hernandez signed an agreement with the Organization of American States to form the Mission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). Honduras 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report. Criminals expanded the use of social network platforms to recruit victims, often with false promises of employment, and continued to target vulnerable populations. Fire Department Ambulance is fully equipped with emergency medical supplies and medical staff. Widespread poverty and unemployment, along with significant street gang and drug trafficking activity, have contributed to the extremely high crime rate. The government reported investigating 82 cases of suspected sex trafficking and related crimes in 2020, compared with 91 suspected cases investigated in 2019 and 145 in 2018. Discrimination occurs against ethnic minorities and the LGBTI+ community. Major cities (e.g. Copyright 2023 United Nations Sustainable Development Group. The government maintained prosecution efforts. The Honduran National Police wear blue uniforms, while the PMOP normally wear green camouflage. Read more about the coordinated response to COVID-19. There have been frequent incidents of carjacking and highway robbery on a number of roads including the main highway (CA-5) between San Pedro Sula and Siguatepeque, with the greatest risk between Potrerillos and Pito Solo in the lake area. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. Government agencies, including CICESCT, its local committees, the Public Ministry, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Supreme Court of Justice, and the Secretariat of Education, provided anti-trafficking trainings to police, lawyers, judges, other government officials, tourism professionals, civil society organizations, teachers, and members of the public throughout the country; due to the pandemic, the government conducted the majority of trainings virtually, which allowed them to reach more stakeholders and decrease costs. In 2019, there were 1,500 traffic fatalities throughout the country. The government initially allocated 8.93 million lempiras ($357,150) to CICESCT but later decreased its actual disbursement to 6.18 million lempiras ($247,020) due to pandemic-related funds redistribution and budget cuts.
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