Women in Guatemala: The New Faces of Extortion? Honduras Private Sector and Anti-Extortion Police: An Unholy Alliance? World Nomads mission is to support and encourage travellers to explore their boundaries. Alongside her husband, Sasha, she co-founded the. The state of emergency, in place In September, two men shot and killed journalist Luis Alonzo Almendares in Comayagua. By BRENT MAZE. Honduras isnt different from lots of other great backpacking countries in that youre never absolutely safe from food-borne illness. If youre not on a highwayyoull probably need a 44. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. In June, police detained and beat bus drivers who were allegedly protesting not being able to work due to lockdown restrictions. This helps keep everyone in poverty. A Honduran woman and her children manage to cross the remnants of a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Iota. Dont expect to discover an undeveloped private island. Weve made it pretty clear that Honduras isnt the safest country. Domestic and sexual violence are also widespread, with women and children bearing the brunt. FILE - Honduras' President Xiomara Castro addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, Sept. 20, 2022. The storms, among other shocks, led to higher levels of food scarcity while weakening the states capacity to cope with displacement. And taxi driversprobably wont have enough change to cover a big bill, socarry small denominations. Honduras has freed dozens of individuals tied to organized crime a year after reforming its money laundering law. So how do they do it?. 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. Theyve been doing it since 2002 protecting, connecting, and inspiring independent travellers just like you. The question of Is Honduras Safe? will ALWAYS have a different answer depending on the parties involved. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most-watched television news channel for 18 consecutive years. Women - Honduras has the fifth-highest rate of violence against women in the world. Dont drink the water without treating, and steer clear of ice cubes,too. This is apretty safe area to visit. There are taxi ranks in a lot of locations. 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. The new criminal code decriminalized defamation, but retains other crimes of honorincluding insult and slanderwhich have been used to prosecute journalists in the past. https://t.co/xQGbbyZXXv. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Gang violence and organized crime are leading causes of displacement from Honduras. It can get SUPER hot in Honduras. Often, people with disabilities are threatened and subjected to extortion by criminal gangs. InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean. 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. The coastline of Cedeno, a fishing village in southern Honduras, looks like it was hit by an earthquake - houses, businesses and clubs stand in ruins. 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. Every dollar supports our mission. Read the entire Travel Advisory. And Hondurascan be a safe place for solo female travelers, but wed only recommend it after some solo travel experience. Roatan is the more developed, more expensive, and family friendly big brother of Utila. We do our best to advise but this info may already be out of date. Some areas have increased risk. In February 2020, it called on El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to protect the rights of migrants and refugees to leave their country of origin, noting that asylum applications from Central America and Mexico grew 50-fold from 2012 to 2018. There is only anecdotal evidence of the scale of the problem because so few extortion victims report the crime, making a statistical analysis impossible. 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. Sexual violence and oppression are frequent tragedies here. - 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. People live here with children, by themselves, as couples, some retire here, and some people have even started up their own hostelsor otherbusinesses. Honduras is exposed to other climate shocks as well. Youll most likely get watered-down versions of Honduran food and Western stuff. In 2018, the last year for which statistics are available, 60 percent of perpetrators were domestic partners. There are alsopassenger ferriesif you want to go totheBay Islands. A law prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting childrentook effect in 2019. There's no avoiding violence in Honduras, even at home. Abuses by security forces, including alleged collusion with criminal organizations, and weak state institutions, have contributed to the persistence of gang violence. Schools were closed from March onward due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prosecutors and whistleblowers have received death threats. Investigations were underway at time of writing. Not only that, but thecorruptionin everything the low to the high levels of the politics here is standard. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. 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. Estimates of the number of active gang members range from 5,000 to 40,000. We wouldnt recommend members of the LGBTQ+ community to visit Honduras unless theyre prepared to keep any sort of affection behind closed doors. Were not going to lie its pretty sketchy. Public buildings, transportation, and information and communication services open to the public are not fully accessible to people with disabilities. Political power brokers also have ties to drug smuggling and have even run trafficking operations themselves. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. Gender-based violence in Honduras is also among the highest in the region and has increased during the pandemic. A woman is killed every 23 hours on average, the National Autonomous University of Honduras Violence Observatory reports. Your little ones get to see the Mesoamerican Reef,thesecond largest barrier reef in the world. The flavors, spices and. Theres a lot of fresh fish in places like, Steer clear of anything that you cant peel yourself. 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.. Already vulnerable people in Honduras live in an evolving humanitarian crisis, says IRC protection coordinator Zuleyma Chahin. Thats why we listed the no-go areas in Honduras below. Crisis in Honduras: Ongoing violence and climate shocks Here are three reasons the International Rescue Committee's Emergency Watchlist ranks Honduras among 20 countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2022. This is essentially anunsafecountry. 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. Theres alsoLa Ceiba. However, More than2 million touristsvisited in 2017. Violent crime is at its peak in Honduras. But if you meet the local ladies andlearn about their livesyoure going to have a VERY enriching experience on your hands. Is your phone eSIM ready? When the time came, the police departed in caravans to gang-infested neighbourhoods throughout the capital city, as part of an effort to combat an apparent rise in extortion. And when it comes to the extreme violence of Honduras, thosevery highfigures come from gang violence. Most serious crime does not affect tourists, but attacks on foreigners, including armed robbery and sexual assault, do sometimes occur. Close, Is Honduras Safe for Travel? So when it comes to safetyin Honduras, we think youllgenerallybe fine, especially in the Bay Islands. For example, theBay Islandsaresaferthan the mainland. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2017 was 40.98, a 26.23% decline from 2016. A . 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. The Inescapable Prison of Barrio 18 in Honduras, Death, Taxes, and Extortion: Why Latin American Companies Keep Paying Up, Timber Mafias - Preying on Latin Americas Forests, State and Community Responses to Extortion, A Mayor and a Wave of Narco Violence on Guatemala's Pacific, One Party, Many Crimes: The Case of Honduras National Party, Drug Trafficking and Political Protection in Paraguay: The Case of Cucho Cabaa, How Colombia Regulators Became Purveyors of Illegal Wood, The Logging Barons of Catacamas, Honduras, How Drug Cartels Moved into Illegal Logging in Mexico, Municipalities Fight Back in Guatemalas Gang-Preyed Upon Neighborhoods, How the Private Sector Helped Counter Rural Extortion in El Salvador. San Pedro Sula is the most dangerous city, not just in Honduras, but in the whole world. Gangs control areas within the same communities,. Click here to read the full story: 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison. Of course, being a woman anywhere is going to come with additional risk. Theres more nature here than you can shake a stick at. We are all about smart travel and were here to help you travel smart too. Testimony provided by drug traffickers and Honduran politicians on trial in the United States have revealed the deep-seated connection between organized crime and the governing National Party. This is an issue that has not been taken seriously by the Honduran state.. Wed classify it as generally hazardous. The police chief in Honduras reported 356 fewer homicides between Dec. 6, 2022 and Feb 20, 2023, compared to the period Dec. 6, 2021 to Feb. 20, 2022. SafetyWing is convenient, cheap, and trouble-free Insurance was never this easy! But the removal of military officers from an anti-gang taskforce resulted in a messy divorce that temporarily reduced the units already limited capacity opening a window for criminals and before the community policing model could have any effect, the political pressure to take decisive action against extortion boiled over. The new code also includes alternatives to detention for low-level crimes, including partial prison sentences and penalties that allow for conditional release. Radio taxisare always a better option than hailing one off the street. Honestly? Seth Sidney Berry / SOPA Images/Sipa USA (Sipa via AP Images), Share this via Facebook 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. It may have improved it actually. According to Hugo Maldonado, president of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in Honduras, this year has seen 116 femicides and 23 group murders, along with more than 1,356 violent. document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Since 2012, the Honduran police have implemented a program sponsored by the US Department of State called Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) which aims to discourage youth crime and gang recruitment. So keep that in mind and have a read of our safety tips for solo female travelers thinking of taking a trip to Honduras. Otherwise, thanks for your ear and stay safe! TEGUCIGALPA, Jan 7 (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. 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). A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. We hope these measures work and remain in place.. 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. Wed,03/01/23-8:26AM, 3 Reads. 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. The Bay Islands are the only palace in Honduras that can (kind of) be considered somewhat safe. Patrick said the inmates were captured about 7:45 AM in downtown Newton. For your trip to Honduras, our handy guide has you covered. led to the detention of more than 2% of its adult population. Travel smart and make sure your safety and security is your number one priority. They are taxed by gangs. The MS13 and Barrio 18 street gangs control urban neighborhoods in the countrys two major cities Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula and rural towns close to the border with El Salvador. Some are deprived of full legal capacity and are institutionalized in different settings, including psychiatric hospitals. "Today at dawn, in a single operation, we transferred the first 2,000 gang . The country has the second-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. Radio Globo directorDavid Romero, convicted of defamation in 2016, died in prison from Covid-19 in July. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. Many women are choosing to flee the violence in their communities. 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. This isnt one for first-time backpackers. Every year, more than 100,000 Hondurans are internally displaced, migrate, seek protection abroad, or are deported back to Honduras. The Supreme Court, particularly its president, exerts excessive control over the appointment and removal of judges, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported in 2019, and career instability limits judges independence. How Gangs Control Honduras - YouTube 0:00 / 11:46 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. This has a pretty good expat community too. Violence has long ruled here. Support focuses primarily on reintegration into the labor market, rather than assistance for people who fled seeking international protection. FILE PHOTO: Police raid a house after Honduras' President Xiomara Castro (not pictured) mobilised . You will have to agree on a pricebefore you get in. 2023, The Broke Backpacker. To make sure youre having a successful trip, weve listed the safest, and the no-go areas below. This coastal city is more welcoming togringos than other places and features beaches fringed bycoral reefsand theres a lot of new development happening here. The island attracts a very different crowd indeed. 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. msn back to msn home news Skip To Navigation Police presented a comprehensive plan to reform laws and ramp up institutional capacity measures that experts believe could have a positive effect long-term but which were pushed aside by the short-term political decision to declare a state of exception. Close to 1 million migrants fled Honduras for the U.S. border over the eight-year tenure of former President Juan Orlando Hernndez, now facing drug trafficking charges after being arrested. Womenand girls who terminate pregnancies face prison sentences of up to six years. Poor health infrastructure and limited access to sanitation services has contributed to the spread of the virus. Patrick said the inmates were captured about 7:45 AM in downtown Newton. In July 2020, gunmen in police uniforms abducted five indigenous Garifuna men in Triunfo de la Cruz, where communities are claiming ancestral land from drug traffickers and developers.