Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. Honduras lacks the infrastructure to maintain water purity and food safety. for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Ethnic minority rights leaders, international NGOs, and farmworker organizations claimed the government failed to redress actions taken by security forces, government agencies, private individuals, and businesses to dislodge farmers and indigenous persons from lands over which they claimed ownership based on land reform law or ancestral land titles. According to the Honduran National Police, there were 12 kidnappings reported nationwide during 2019. He was arrested again in April for separate but related charges. Honduras requires proof of Yellow Fever immunization if coming from another country endemic with Yellow Fever. Fire Department Ambulance is fully equipped with emergency medical supplies and medical staff. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. Although its specialists occasionally cannot provide the U.S. standard of care, the hospital and diagnostic departments do have the capability to provide most medical procedures. According to Human Rights Watch, Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for members of these groups. Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. Honduras is a signatory to the International Labor Organizations 169 Convention, which requires free prior notice and informed consent from indigenous communities before any development projects can begin; the congress has not approved a law regulating this process. Air pollution can aggravate or lead to respiratory problems during the dry season due to widespread forest fires and agricultural burning. International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and USAID implementing partners have reported threats and violence when visiting some rural communities. 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. There are no legal cases involving instances of terrorism affecting U.S. citizens or facilities brought before the Honduran judicial system, and no reports of judicial developments that would have a negative impact on U.S. counterterrorism efforts. The secretariat reported assisting 127 IDPs as of August. The location and timing of criminal activity are unpredictable. Organized criminal groups, 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, human rights defenders, and others. For fire and public safety emergencies, dial 911. 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 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. Many activists report that crimes committed against the LGBTI+ community go unpunished. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Section 5. 2022 Investment Climate Statements: Honduras In this section / Executive Summary Executive Summary 1. These tensions have resulted in intense protests and violence. Seek legal representation before admitting or signing any legal form that acknowledges culpability. Libel/Slander Laws: Citizens, including public officials, may initiate criminal proceedings for libel and slander. The law grants prisoners the right to prompt access to a lawyer of their choice and, if indigent, to government-provided counsel, although the public defender mechanism was weak, and authorities did not always abide by these requirements. Defendants may receive free assistance from an interpreter. There were no credible reports of political prisoners or detainees. As of September the Secretariat of Human Rights reported the countrys pretrial detention center held 33 individuals. The trial has been marred by irregularities. Judges face interferenceincluding political pressure, threats, and harassmentfrom the executive branch, private actors with connections to government, and gangs. Violence linked to land disputes also occurs, particularly in the Bay Islands and Bajo Aguan Valley in northern Honduras. Of those, 37,114 were deported from Mexico and 4,689 from the US. The law provides for the right to a fair and public trial; however, the judiciary did not always enforce this right. There is often a spike in skimming in December and June, when the working population receive Christmas and mid-year bonuses in the form of one extra months salary. Cruise ship industry contacts report that approximately one million U.S. citizens enter the country by ship every year, primarily in Roatn, but also in La Ceiba on the northern coast. Pretrial Detention: Judicial inefficiency, corruption, and insufficient resources delayed proceedings in the criminal justice system, and lengthy pretrial detention was a serious problem. Extortion threats commonly originate through social engineering. The rainy season usually runs May-November. honduras crime and safety report 2021 Hakkmzda. Review OSACs report, Armed robberies, burglaries, vandalization, home invasions, and extortions occur; closely guarded officials, businesspersons, and diplomats are not immune. There is also a Human Rights Committee in the National Congress. In terms of natural disasters, Honduras experiences a wet season from May to November that poses a number of dangerous threats, including hurricanes, landslides, mudslides, and flooding. Resolution of disputes in court often takes years. Monopoly on the use of force '06 '22 10 1 5 6 5 While the nation-state is recognized by the majority of the population as legitimate, deep mistrust continues to exist between the state and significant parts of its citizens. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts. Local police and emergency services lack sufficient resources to respond effectively to serious crime. Many of these U.S. citizens are church and humanitarian aid volunteers working throughout the country, including in gang-controlled neighborhoods. Honduras is one of the Western Hemispheres deadliest countries for journalists, with security forces representing their biggest threat, Reporters Without Borders noted in 2021. Violent transnational criminal organizations are also involved in narcotics trafficking and other illicit commerce. Recent Elections: In November Xiomara Castro of the LIBRE Party won a four-year presidential term in elections that were generally considered free, fair, and transparent. The government investigated and prosecuted some of these crimes, but impunity was widespread. By law all minors between the ages of 14 and 18 in most industries must receive special permission from the STSS to work, and the STSS must perform a home study to verify that there is an economic need for the child to work and that the child does not work outside the country or in hazardous conditions, including in offshore fishing. CONAPREV conducted 138 visits to prisons as of September. Discrimination occurs against ethnic minorities and the LGBTI+ community. HONDURAS / 19 APR 2022 BY SETH ROBBINS EN. Share this via Facebook Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba) have homicide rates higher than the national average, as do several Honduran departments (a geographic designation like U.S. States), includingAtlntida, Coln, Corts, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, andYoro. The World Bank reported in 2018 that the adolescent birth rate was 72 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19. There is no statutory rape law, but the penalty for rape of a minor younger than 14 is 12 to 17 years in prison, or nine to 13 years in prison if the victim is 14 or older. The Secretariat of Human Rights served as an effective advocate for human rights within the government. The Supreme Court, particularly its president, exerts excessive control over the appointment and removal of judges, and career instability limits judges independence. Media noted that family members often faced long delays or were unable to visit detainees. It named 21 from Honduras, including former President Porfirio Lobo Sosa (2010-2014), who became ineligible for visas and admission to the US. While many protests remain relatively peaceful, demonstrations can escalate into violent confrontations with the police resulting in destruction to public and private property. They forcibly recruit children and sexually abuse women, girls, and LGBT people. The law provides for freedom of peaceful assembly, and the government generally respected this right. International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and USAID implementing partners have reported threats and violence when visiting some rural communities. To reduce overcrowding in response to the pandemic, the legislature approved alternatives to pretrial detention and judges have released more than 1,600 people. Review OSACs reports, The Overseas Travelers Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. The law requires prisoners to work at least five hours a day, six days a week. Overseas Security Advisory Council
Persons with disabilities, indigenous and Afro-descendant persons, LGBTQI+ persons, and persons with HIV or AIDS also faced discrimination in employment and occupation (see section 6). In addition the law prohibits strikes in a wide range of economic activities that the government has designated as essential services or that it considers would affect the rights of individuals in the larger community to security, health, education, and economic and social well-being. Abortion is illegal in Honduras under all circumstances, with prison sentences of up to six years. gangs are the most active and powerful. In some industries, including agriculture, domestic service, and security, employers did not respect maternity rights or pay minimum wage, overtime, or vacation. Marco Bogran, former director of INVEST-H, the Honduran government entity tasked with providing coronavirus pandemic relief contracts to private firms, remained in pretrial detention awaiting his next court appearance, scheduled for January 31, 2022. Best Buddies Turkey Ekibi; Videolar; Bize Ulan; honduras crime and safety report 2021 27 ub. It prohibits employer retribution against employees for engaging in trade union activities. You can add more than one country or area. Impunity remains the norm. However, kidnapping figures are likely lower than reality, as families of kidnapping victims often pay ransoms without reporting these crimes to police out of fear of retribution. Anti-corruption prosecutors have been left defenseless. Established in 2016 by the government and the OAS, MACCIH contributed to the prosecution of 133 people, including congresspeople and senior officials, 14 of whom stood trial. Download the State Departments Crime Victims Assistance brochure. Vote View Results . CONADEH received four reports as of August. 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). Avoid protests, which can quickly turn violent. Several UN special rapporteurs and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances warned, in April, of growing numbers of migrants from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador who have disappeared in Mexico, including 741 Hondurans from March through August 2019.
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