A ferry also runs betweenTrujilloandGuanaja. They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. With all the threats of violence, theres alow number of tourists, so oddly you can really have anauthentic experiencehere while getting to know Honduran women, too. It is important to know that Utila is very much a developed backpacker hotspot. Living in Honduras means youll have to adjust your life to the way of life here. Yery Noel Medina Ulloa of Honduras pleaded guilty . Rights activists say young men are frequently arrested just based on their age, appearance or whether they live in a gang-dominated slum. We are on the frontlines providing critical aid to crisis-affected people in more than 40 countries, including places on the 2022 Emergency Watchlist. Enjoy your travels! Donate now to support the IRC's life-changing work in Honduras, across northern Central America, and worldwide. But if the peace in the condemning nations were to rupture the way it has in El Salvador and Honduras, we can bet they . Download Historical Data. Abuses by security forces, including alleged collusion with criminal organizations, and weak state institutions, have contributed to the persistence of gang violence. (Insider Tips), https://www.facebook.com/gratefulgypsies/, https://www.instagram.com/gratefulgypsies/, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn5T0r4o5KV4qoyQyR7Buww, https://www.pinterest.com/gratefulgypsies/, Traveller, teacher, writer, and bonafide music lover, Rachel Lee is a Tennessee-born human with a passion for movement. A new country, a new contract, a new piece of plastic booooring. Almost 110,000 Hondurans were returned in 2019, mostly from Mexico. Nope. The flavors, spices and. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. Investigations were underway at time of writing. All that in mind, there are places that expats dolive in Honduras. I believe that [Bukeles] leadership is increasing, because the tendency of the Bukele government is to become Central American, and to exercise leadership in all of Central America, said Moreno. Dont expect to discover an undeveloped private island. It is honestly NOT safe to drink the water in Honduras. It suspends some Constitutional rights and gives police more powers to arrest and hold suspects. 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. Nearly 3.3 million people, or one in three Hondurans, were experiencing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by late 2021. Honduras | Today's latest from Al Jazeera Honduras Peru pulls ambassador from Honduras amid regional criticism Peru has struggled with diplomatic isolation as left-wing. The Belize Under-19 Women's National Team (U-19 BWNT) is travelling to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Friday, March 3 to compete in the 2023 Central American Football Union (UNCAF) FIFA Forward Under . How to tackle it is another issue. In 2018, the last year for which statistics are available, 60 percent of perpetrators were domestic partners. Then there are quite a lot of gang wars as well. Theyre run by private companies, obviously, and aremore expensivethan public buses. led to the detention of more than 2% of its adult population. 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. Here's a list of 14: 1. A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. You should ask locals on the best routes to take to any given place. Naturally, youre going to be wondering, Is Honduras safe? That is why we have created this insiders guide looking at the safety of travelers in Honduras. 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. Traveling around the country is a more complicated matter. Of course, you can book a local tour that can look after your safety during your trip, but make sure your research leaves you feeling absolutely confident in the reliability of the tour you choose. To Desafio, the Barrio 18 gang in Honduras was everything. Honduras. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. 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. In June 2020, a new criminal code came into effect. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Honduras major drug trafficking groups like the Cachiros and the Valles have largely been dismantled with the arrest and extradition of top leaders, but vestiges of these clans continue to operate. You can also visit the island through a guided tour, which will add another layer of safety to your trip. 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. Chances are, if you are arriving via a cruise ship, you will be safe. 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). As of September 2020, the US had yet to begin deporting any third country nationals to Honduras under the agreement. In September, the OHCHR and IACHR expressed concern regarding the continued spread of the virus in prisons. Every 18 hours, a woman is a victim of a violent death. In December 2018, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found Honduras responsible for failing to investigate Hernndezs death. Sign up for our newsletter and get the best travel tips delivered right to your inbox. That said, the development that has taken place has not totally sucked the island dry of its charm. 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. 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. It was a show: a show of force following the example set by the hardline policies of neighbouring El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele has led a controversial crackdown on gangs that has led to the detention of more than 2% of its adult population. Chronic violence, climate crisis and the impacts of COVID-19 have deepened humanitarian needs and driven displacement. Everyone from children to adults are recruited. The data was compiled by Citizen Council for Public Security, Justice, and Peace, a Mexican. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. Journalists, environmental activists,lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals,and people with disabilities are among the groups targeted forviolence. As world leaders met for the United Nations General Assembly, Latin American presidents expressed various concerns about organized crime. All rights reserved. Lots of travelers stick to bottled water,but please dont. In neighboring El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele requested Congress grant him extraordinary powers after gangs were blamed for 62 killings on March 26, and that emergency decree has been renewed every month since then. As the camera rolled, the police began stopping vehicles passing by in the background, running ID cards and frisking occupants. One example:tajadas(fried plantains, topped with cabbage and served with ground beef). Share this via LinkedIn In Honduras, the types of danger include, but are not limited to, violent gang activity, trafficking, rape, street crime and armed robbery. In El Salvador, a Thin Line Between Community Policing and Vigilantism. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Honduras has freed dozens of individuals tied to organized crime a year after reforming its money laundering law. Activist groups, like the Grupo Prisma, have formed that educate and inform the general public as well as fight the current rules against homosexual relationships. There are high levels of crime in Honduras. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. With just 39% of the population fully vaccinated as of December 2021, the health risks associated with the pandemic will remain a concern long into 2022. This rule especially goes at night. Honduras declared a state of exception as extortion cases rise, suspending constitutional rights in cities and deploying thousands of troops. Of 25,000 gang members in 2012, nearly a fifth were children, UNICEF estimated. 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. Dont hitchhike ortake lifts from strangers , Other ways to meet fellow travelers and. At nighttime, you should really get a taxi. They are taxed by gangs. Following domestic and international criticism, the government backtracked and a week later re-established constitutional free speech guarantees. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. The measure must still be approved by Congress. Weve covered the main safety concerns already, but there are a few more things to know. Extortions generate annual profits of up to $737 million for gangs, nearly 3% of the country's gross domestic product, according to data from Association for a More Just Society, a security-focused non-governmental organization. For your trip to Honduras, our handy guide has you covered. Click here to read the full story: 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison. 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. These are the things to avoid in Honduras: Avoid looking wealthy or like a tourist Avoid the beaches after dark Dont use ATMs at night Stay away from drugs. So, yeah. 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. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. Bukeles example resonates in societies with a fragile institutional framework and with a tendency towards populism and authoritarianism, said Ismael Moreno, a human rights defender. The Supreme Court had upheld Romeros 10-year sentencein January 2020. (Reporting by Orfa Mejia in Tegucigalpa; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Leslie Adler). The US is losing allies in Latin America just as production of cocaine, fentanyl, and other synthetic drugs is going through the roof. Along with Honduras, the IRC also identified Haiti and Venezuela as the countries most at risk of experiencing deteriorating humanitarian crises in 2022 in Latin America and the Caribbean. Security forces committed abuses while enforcing a nationwide Covid-19 lockdown that President Juan Orlando Hernndez imposed in March. It wont be down to the wire cutting edge info on the most current events, but it is layered in the expertise of veteran travellers. Heres how to not get ill whilst trying local delights. SafetyWing is convenient, cheap, and trouble-free Insurance was never this easy! Officials were called out to the main Wood Duck Recreation Area at around 4 p.m. on Tuesday to investigate a suspicious vehicle, a ccording to a release from the Sheriff's Office. Its a massive issue. This is an issue that has not been taken seriously by the Honduran state.. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. Honduras Private Sector and Anti-Extortion Police: An Unholy Alliance? Sign in How Gangs Control Honduras VICE News 8.42M subscribers. However, More than2 million touristsvisited in 2017. The new code also includes alternatives to detention for low-level crimes, including partial prison sentences and penalties that allow for conditional release. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) One day after six Honduran environmental activists were convicted for alleged actions against a mining operation, the Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber unanimously sided with the defendants on two long-standing appeals and threw out their case late Thursday. Iris Argentina lvarez of the Cerro Escondido peasant cooperative, which has been working to recover land currently owned by a sugar company, was killed and three people were injured during a violent and allegedly illegal eviction in Choluteca in April 2020. Already vulnerable people in Honduras live in an evolving humanitarian crisis, says IRC protection coordinator Zuleyma Chahin. This helps keep everyone in poverty. And for transparencys sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. Disclaimer: Safety conditions change all over the world on a daily basis. Prolonged droughts have undermined food production, while in October 2021 a wildfire in the Guanaja region affected thousands. Corruption, no supervision, and poor legislation have led to Latin American military weapons ending up in criminal hands. Efforts to reform public-security institutions have stalled. Just in case, thats No quiero compartir el taxi.. San Pedro Sula is the most dangerous city, not just in Honduras, but in the whole world. Some areas are also safer than others. An illegal immigrant from Honduras was sentenced to 60 years in prison Friday for the killing of a Florida man in Jacksonville in 2021, prosecutors said. In 2018, the government created a special force to fight gangs (Fuerza Nacional Anti Maras y pandillas). Utila is unlike the rest of mainland Honduras in just about every way. You can too. Youll also have to take care that your children dont stay in the sun fortoo long. San Pedro Sula, Honduras, has been given the unfortunate title of the most dangerous city in the world. We need to address these immediate needs too.. Honduras and theUS signed anasylum cooperative agreement in 2019, whereby Honduras agreed to receivenon-Honduran asylum-seekerstransferred by the US. The government had granted him protective measures in January 2019. International Rescue Committee is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The UNspecialrapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders called Honduras one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders in Latin America. Youll be able to travel around here with relative ease. Our work is costly and high risk. The new criminal code decriminalized defamation, but retains other crimes of honorincluding insult and slanderwhich have been used to prosecute journalists in the past. The Bay Islands are the only palace in Honduras that can (kind of) be considered somewhat safe. 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. Classes were broadcast on television, radio, and online, in some cases with assignments sent via Whatsapp. The media and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) reported several cases of abusive police enforcement of the Covid-19 lockdown. 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. A . The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. Radio taxisare always a better option than hailing one off the street. Since 2017, the government has operated centers to support returned migrants. Home to the second biggest barrier reef in the world, beaches, and sparkling turquoise sea, as well as a whole host of Mayan ruins, amazing coffee, and the second largest rainforest in the Americas, Honduras is extremely biodiverse: there are 770 bird species alone. At the same time, traveling alone can be stressful, boring, lonely, anddangerous in varying quantities. They practice war taxing, which is essentially just demanding money from people. If you are a keen diver, Roatan is well worth a visit. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. Theyre fairly easy to use, but be aware of the risks. Garza is wanted in Honduras for homicide. But if youre thinking about it, here are some tips. We do our best to advise but this info may already be out of date. And when it comes to the extreme violence of Honduras, thosevery highfigures come from gang violence. Anyone else would do well with a trusted tour group. 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. Members of the military police of public order get ready during a special operation in Tegucigalpa on 6 December. The inmates, all from Honduras, had reportedly escaped custody yesterday in Scott County. Get your accommodation to either recommenda good company or just book one for you. Sexual violence and oppression are frequent tragedies here. Although there is a law that provides higher penalties for bias-based crimes, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, the Attorney Generals office told Human Rights Watch in September 2020 that no one has been convicted under the law. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to two main gangs : Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18. Wed,03/01/23-8:24AM, 1,088 Reads 16,082 Statewide. Extortion in the Northern Triangle is predominantly done from prisons, yet prison populations have been on the rise. Sometimes the drivers are assaulted. Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox. As of August 2020, more than 21,000 people were detained in prisons with capacity for just under 11,000. Seeing the world without anyone to answer to, getting to challenge yourself andgrow as a person. if youre visiting Honduras, you will have to avoid this city completely. We wouldnt recommend members of the LGBTQ+ community to visit Honduras unless theyre prepared to keep any sort of affection behind closed doors. Again, thank you! We are going to eradicate extortion in every corner of our country.. 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. 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. Share this via Telegram Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The question of Is Honduras Safe? will ALWAYS have a different answer depending on the parties involved. 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. Members include officers from the police, the military, and the Attorneys General Office. Dont eat at tourist traps. The inauguration of Xiomara Castro, elected Hondurass first female president, is scheduled for January 27 with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris, King Felipe VI of Spain and other world leaders slated to attend. If youre not on a highwayyoull probably need a 44. Officials flew Garza, a 48-year-old . Established in 2016 by the government and the Organization of American States (OAS), theMACCIHcontributed to the prosecution of 133 people, including congresspeople and senior officials, 14 of whom faced criminal trials. Plus theres Copan: the ancientMayanarchaeological site, complete with amazing sculptures. It may have improved it actually. via REUTERS. Keeping yourself away from any situation to do with them will be a good way to keep yourself pretty much safe. 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. Juan Orlando Hernndez extolled his achievements as. Youll get the, If youve got no locals to ask, just use your eyes. Corruption, fear of retribution, and limited access to essential health services . 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. In April, the office expressed concern regarding accusations of excesive use of force by state security agents enforcing the governments Covid-19 restrictions. 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. Since 2020, the number of Hondurans in need of humanitarian assistance has more than doubled, while food insecurity has increased due to consecutive climate shocks, rising food prices and the economic impacts of COVID-19. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. Women, children and the LGBTQ+ community are the ones most affected and we have seen the demand for services skyrocket It is essential to address the root causes of forced migration, a strategy that the current U.S. administration is adopting. The code also includes poorly constructed provisions that could lead to violations of the rights to assemble and protest and an overly broad definition of association to engage in terrorism, which could be used to criminalize and disproportionately punish behaviors that fall far short of what most reasonable observers would consider terrorism. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Poverty, violence, and insecurity are the main reasons for the high crime rate. Not really. There are alsopassenger ferriesif you want to go totheBay Islands. Hondurans are warm and welcoming people whohave to live day in, day out with the violence in their country. Until his life grew increasingly violent. City busestravel around the cities and towns themselves. Political power brokers also have ties to drug smuggling and have even run trafficking operations themselves. And this area is great for children. 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. He estimated the companies and drivers have paid an average of about $10 million per month to the gangs in order to operate. This perception has grown despite a slight reduction in homicides this year, according to preliminary data, and a significant drop over the past decade since Honduras held the ignominious title of the worlds most violent country. Violent crime is at its peak in Honduras. Some victims of extortion said that the only thing that has changed is how the money is collected. In the 2010s, Honduras' homicide rate skyrocketed, peaking in 2011 and slowly declining since. Because of human rights, crime has gone on so long, because human rights defend the criminal, and it shouldnt be like that, she said. These. Transgender woman activist killed in Honduras An eSIM works just like an app: you buy it, you download it, and BOOM! Excessive use of force by police and deployment of the military in public security operations continued in 2020. In 2014, the United Nations reported that 95 percent of cases of sexual violence and femicide in Honduras were never even investigated. So. The government relies heavily on the military for public security. There's no avoiding violence in Honduras, even at home. Its not a good idea to go out to bars and clubs by yourself. Clearly, with the pandemic, that goal wasnt reached, but its not been forgotten either. The criminal justice system regularly fails to hold those responsible for homicides to account. While there were a few violent crime incidents, most travelers have a safe and pleasant stay. See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution and Travel Advisories. The island attracts a very different crowd indeed. Honduras, in general, is open and welcoming to children. They forcibly recruit children and sexually abuse women, girls, and LGBT people. Honduras isnt a gay-friendly country, however, there are some movements that are going in the right direction. Read more about the top 10 crises the world cant ignore in 2022, learn how the IRC selected these countries, and download the full 2022 Emergency Watchlist report for data citations and profiles of all 20 crisis countries on the IRC's list. So far, the state of exception in Honduras has produced some arrests and forced the gangs and other criminal groups to keep a lower profile. Or gangs attacking Honduran citizens for not paying war tax. Around 191,000 people were internally displaced between 2004 and 2018, the Honduran government reported, and more than 75,000 Hondurans sought asylum abroad in 2017.