ThisCentral Americancountry suffers from what many countries in the region have suffered from or are currently battling with namely corruption, gangs,anddrugs. 20 Top Safety Tips for Traveling to Honduras. Get your accommodation to either recommenda good company or just book one for you. The law also sanctions abortion providers. But it has not yet resulted in an increase in police reports a key measure of public trust. The Supreme Court had upheld Romeros 10-year sentencein January 2020. 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. In Honduras, the types of danger include, but are not limited to, violent gang activity, trafficking, rape, street crime and armed robbery. Its not 100% safe in Honduras. Close, Is Honduras Safe for Travel? Patrick said the inmates were captured about 7:45 AM in downtown Newton. Rights activists say young men are frequently arrested just based on their age, appearance or whether they live in a gang-dominated slum. Half of underage pregnancies result from rape. Youre connected. It can be a super enriching experience. Seth Sidney Berry / SOPA Images/Sipa USA (Sipa via AP Images), Share this via Facebook Most who can access the internet do so on their phones. 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. However, if you decide to travel independently, youll face quite a few challenges. Newton County Sheriff's Office was involved with . Its a mix of European, indigenous and Caribbean influence, and youll love it. We dont want to recommend traveling to the rest of Honduras with your family. Honduras is one of the most important drug trafficking operation centers between South America and Mexico. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Gangs attacking other gangs. Get a quote below or read our in-depth review! October 4, 2021 The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras is pleased to announce a donation from the government of the United States of 250,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to the people of Honduras. And if youre visiting as part of a tour, then youre likely to stay safe. 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. Nope. Roatan is the largest of the Honduras Bay Islands. Violence against LGBT individuals forces many to leave their homes, fleeing internally or leaving the country to seek asylum. 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. Those who work in the transportation sector (taxi and bus drivers) are notable targets of gangs, but many are unable to flee for fear of retaliatory violence against themselves and their . They offer simple & flexible travel insurance, and safety advice to help you travel confidently. REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File PhotoReuters. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. City busestravel around the cities and towns themselves. Itcan be safe as a solo female traveler in Honduras. LGBTpeople in Honduras are frequently the targets of violence and discrimination, according to Human Rights Watch research. Honduras hasn't specified exactly what the state of emergency would entail, but normally such measures temporarily suspend normal rules regulating arrests and searches; sometime limits on freedom of speech and assembly are implemented as well. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Theyre run by private companies, obviously, and aremore expensivethan public buses. 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. The story 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison was published by the Associated Press on 2022-07-04 18:29:24. Every dollar supports our mission. In 2018, the last year for which statistics are available, 60 percent of perpetrators were domestic partners. Gangsplay a big part of life here. Police reforms are most successful when theyre coupled with investments in social services and cross-cutting investments to address some of the root causes like poverty and exclusion that can cause crime in the first place, said Mary Malone, a professor at the University of New Hampshire who has studied policing in Central America. Late Thursday, Honduran President Xiomara Castro proposed a measure to limit constitutional Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. However, whilst its quite dangerous, the government is promoting tourism in Honduras. After a 2019 wave of gang violence that killed 37 detainees, President Hernndez declared a state of emergency and put prisons under military control. This social democratic government is declaring war on extorsion, just as it has, since the first day, declared wars on corruption, impunity and drug trafficking," Castro said. We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. Meanwhile, as Guatemalas electoral season heats up ahead of next years presidential election, some candidates have signaled that if elected, they would also implement hardline policies. In December 2018, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found Honduras responsible for failing to investigate Hernndezs death. On theCaribbean coast, there are plenty of delicious dishes to sample, with tortillasand things likerefried beansserved up with every meal. 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. Dont hitchhike ortake lifts from strangers , Other ways to meet fellow travelers and. Weve made it pretty clear that Honduras isnt the safest country. But its clear that extortion is occurring in areas where it didnt in the past, and there is no disagreement, among experts or others, on the gravity of the problem. So, yeah. In January 2020, the OHCHR released a report saying that the armed forces and military police had used excessiveeven lethalforce in response to the protests that followed the 2017 election. An audit of government purchases of medical supplies to fight Covid-19 revealed supplies worth tens of millions of dollars had gone missing. "Today at dawn, in a single operation, we transferred the first 2,000 gang . 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. You can also visit the island through a guided tour, which will add another layer of safety to your trip. The Bay Islands are the only palace in Honduras that can (kind of) be considered somewhat safe. Honduras Extends, Expands State of Emergency Meant to Fight Crime, FILE PHOTO: A member of Honduras' DIPAMPCO (Police Anti Maras and Gangs Against Organised Crime Directorate) stands guard as other DIPAMPCO members frisk people while doing rounds in a low-income neighbourhood, after President Xiomara Castro declared a national security emergency implementing a new plan to combat a rising number of cases of extortion by violent criminal groups operating across the country, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras November 26, 2022. Living in Honduras means youll have to adjust your life to the way of life here. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. 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. One example:tajadas(fried plantains, topped with cabbage and served with ground beef). More information. Taxis areall over the placein Honduras. Sexual violence and oppression are frequent tragedies here. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. Schools were closed from March onward due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Dont eat at tourist traps. There are probably more sketchy areas in Honduras than there are safe ones. Honduras declared the state of exception for 30 days in 162 neighborhoods, some politicians have already called for it to be extended in duration and territory. ACNUR acoge con satisfaccin la aprobacin de la ley sobre desplazamiento interno en Honduras Format News and Press Release Source. Here, you will find safety knowledge and advice for travelling Honduras. You can too. If you are a keen diver, Roatan is well worth a visit. I wouldnt dare to say that [extortion] has skyrocketed because it has been so high for many years, said Leticia Salomn, a sociologist and researcher with the Documentation Center of Honduras. While Honduras is not seeing the political armed conflict common in most Watchlist countries this year, criminal gang violence is widespread. How Gangs Control Honduras - YouTube 0:00 / 11:46 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. Honduras declared a state of exception as extortion cases rise, suspending constitutional rights in cities and deploying thousands of troops. Until his life grew increasingly violent. We also provide critical, up-to-date information and support from trained moderators through CuntaNos, a digital platform that is part of the Global Signpost project. Sat Navs might not always tell you the best route. He estimated the companies and drivers have paid an average of about $10 million per month to the gangs in order to operate. People are frisked in Tegucigalpa on 26 November. But this article is written for savvy travellers from the perspective of savvy travellers. This helps keep everyone in poverty. Gangs kill, disappear, rape, or displace those who resist. There is only anecdotal evidence of the scale of the problem because so few extortion victims report the crime, making a statistical analysis impossible. 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. More than half of detained men and two-thirds of detained women were in pretrial detention. Juan Aguilar, 41, and his wife, Margaret Wilson, 39, both of San Leandro, face charges of kidnapping to commit a sex crime, human trafficking of a minor, forcible rape, and forcible oral copulation. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. 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 these demonstrations, more than 1,500 were arrested and30 people were killed. In January 2020, the government shut down the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. 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. Poor health infrastructure and limited access to sanitation services has contributed to the spread of the virus. There are 37 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, and all 18 provinces are. There have been protests due tocontested election results in late 2017. 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. This has a pretty good expat community too. It has experienced one of the world's highest homicide rates, with multiple forms of violence linked to drug trafficking groups. Since 2010, 42. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. 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. 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. Im nervous, repeated a young police officer driving a pickup truck crowded with heavily armed special forces officers. Gender-based violence in Honduras is also among the highest in the region and has increased during the pandemic. Abortionisillegalin Honduras in all circumstances. 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). In 2014, the United Nations reported that 95 percent of cases of sexual violence and femicide in Honduras were never even investigated. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. In terms of murder rate, it's the second most violent country in Central or South America, trailing only Venezuela. via REUTERS. The inmates, all from Honduras, had reportedly escaped custody yesterday in Scott County. 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. But travelers DO take these buses. The Newton Police Department has arrested three escaped inmates from Scott County, according to Newton police chief, Randy Patrick. For example, theBay Islandsaresaferthan the mainland. Honduras newspaper, TV channel news, online portal news, and magazine sites are getting popularity day by day around the world. It provided a family, a sense of belonging. Gangs control areas within the same communities,. 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. Its also a nice place since the ferry toUtilaruns from here, making it easy to escape to the tropical paradise of theBay Islandswhenever you feel like it. If you see any outdated information in this guide, we would really appreciate it if you could reach out in the comments below. Honduras has been through a lot in recent years. That measure has proved popular among the public in El Salvador, and has resulted in the arrest of more than 56,000 people for alleged gang ties. But its pretty damn special too. These are the safest islands: Once you get off the ferry in Utila you have officially entered an alternate reality. Extortion and Sexual Violence: Womens Unspoken Suffering, Loan Sharking Grows in Costa Rica by Piggybacking on Drug Trafficking, Extortion of Guatemalas Red Buses: Where Gang and Elite Criminal Interests Meet, The Lucky Kingpin: How Chepe Diablo Has (So Far) Ridiculed Justice, Guatemala's Mafia State and the Case of Mauricio Lpez Bonilla, University Deans and Guatemalas Convoluted Road to a New Attorney General, GameChangers 2022: Drug Bonanza Amid Prohibition Challenges in 2023, Honduras' State of Exception May Set Worrying Precedent, Why Money Launderers in Honduras May Be Getting Away With It, Military Arsenals Provide Convenient Source of Weapons for Latin American Gangs, Extortion in Northern Triangle Worth Over $1 Billion Annually: Report, Latin American Leaders Voice Security Concerns At United Nations General Assembly. 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. And for transparencys sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. Excessive use of force by police and deployment of the military in public security operations continued in 2020. And were not going to lie,Honduras doesnt exactly lend itself to solo travel. Corruption, crime, and gang activity inhibits the ability to conduct business activities freely and dissuades entrepreneurs from establishing new businesses. HOUSTON Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston, with assistance from ERO Tegucigalpa and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force, removed Rufino Garza Monroy, a twice-deported foreign fugitive from the United States on Feb. 24. Its prettyextreme. 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 poverty resulting from all this is what youll have to watch out for. It pays totravel smartin Honduras like ANYWHERE in the world. Its not very safe to drive in Honduras. Planning a safe trip to Honduras can get quite overwhelming. Disclaimer: Safety conditions change all over the world on a daily basis. La Ceibaon the northern coast, with mountains, jungles, and beaches, is a chilled and adventurous area to explore. They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. At the same time, traveling alone can be stressful, boring, lonely, anddangerous in varying quantities. As expected, the video went viral and the local newspapers made sure they put this trusted news source on their front page. 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. Of the 6,088,590 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Gang violence is widespread in and around urban areas. With those come violenceandpoverty. 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. Hardline policies, meanwhile, are popular because people think that theyre going to work but inevitably the track record is that they havent, said Malone. 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. Make sure to check the reviews from previous travellers to check for any problems during their stay. There are many daily newspapers in Honduras where that constantly provide the latest updated news and information. Check in and let people know your plans. 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. Is your phone eSIM ready? That means suncream, sun-hats, and limiting time in the sun. led to the detention of more than 2% of its adult population. Visiting Honduras right now is as safe as it ever was:not very. Honduras isnt a gay-friendly country, however, there are some movements that are going in the right direction. By MARLON GONZLEZ November 25, 2022. While homicide rates have dropped in recent years, Honduras is still the most dangerous country in the region, with 38 homicides per 100,000 people. The effort comes amid complaints by business owners, the transportation sector and ordinary Hondurans that extortion by criminals has risen in recent months. In June, the OHCHR and IACHR jointly expressed concern that the new penal code disproportionately restricts freedoms of speech, press, and association and fails to criminalize torture committed by third parties acting on behalf of state agents. How to tackle it is another issue. There are taxi ranks in a lot of locations. Prisons saw significant Covid-19 outbreaks. We are going to eradicate extortion in every corner of our country.. With all of its branches of government and its armed forces plagued by corruption, Honduras has evolved into a transit nation in which criminal groups, protected by the political system, have developed the capacity to produce cocaine hydrochloride in local laboratories. Some areas have increased risk. All rights reserved. In Honduras, steps were taken to demilitarize public security forces and a community policing model was announced, with the hope being that the measures would increase public trust in an institution that has historically been dogged by corruption and infiltrated by the very same organized crime groups it is supposed to combat. STANTON COUNTY, Neb. Not really. Read the entire Travel Advisory. You can catch a ferry from the mainland atLa Ceibato eitherUtilaorRoatan. Often, people with disabilities are threatened and subjected to extortion by criminal gangs. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Theres more nature here than you can shake a stick at. But Honduras is far from Eden. There is no exact number of the exodus, but according to the United States Customs and Border Protection Service, in 2020, they arrested 40,091 Hondurans, who were trying to enter the United States irregularly and until September 2021, this amount increased to 98,554 Honduran arrests, more than double the previous year. But the thing iswomen DO travel alone to Honduras. A study published in April reported that nearly half of teachers in rural areas had not been able to contact the majority of their students. We get it. Not only that, but thecorruptionin everything the low to the high levels of the politics here is standard. So keep that in mind and have a read of our safety tips for solo female travelers thinking of taking a trip to Honduras. Theyre fairly easy to use, but be aware of the risks. 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 . Gang violence is a big issue in Honduras. In fact, most people in Honduras have a family member in a gang. FILE PHOTO: A member of Honduras' DIPAMPCO (Police Anti Maras and Gangs Against Organised Crime Directorate) stands guard as other DIPAMPCO members frisk people while doing rounds in a low-income neighbourhood, after President Xiomara Castro declared a national security emergency implementing a new plan to combat a rising number of cases of extortion by violent criminal groups operating across the country, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras November 26, 2022. Honduras isnt exactly what wed callsafe. Read about how e-Sims work or click below to see one of the top eSIM providers on the market andditch the plastic. As of August 2020, more than 21,000 people were detained in prisons with capacity for just under 11,000. Violence in Honduras is usually attributed to gangs and organised crime, but US federal prosecutors have implicated high-level politicians, the military and police in cocaine trafficking to the US . Domestic and sexual violence are also widespread, with women and children bearing the brunt. Is Honduras safe for solo female travelers? Honduras may sound scary, but if you take into account the advice of locals, plan ahead, and use your common sense,Honduras will open up to you as a solo female traveler. It is important to know that Utila is very much a developed backpacker hotspot. 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. Most serious crime does not affect tourists, but attacks on foreigners, including armed robbery and sexual assault, do sometimes occur. There is limited data on the effectiveness of the program in Honduras. 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. Nearly 3.3 million people, or one in three Hondurans, were experiencing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by late 2021. As of August, prisons had reported 1,700 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths. Weve covered the main safety concerns already, but there are a few more things to know. Jesse Watters: Buying mace in Manhattan is almost as hard as getting a gun. Chances are it wasnt cooked with too much care. Youll also have to take care that your children dont stay in the sun fortoo long. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. To reduce overcrowding in response to the pandemic, the legislature approved alternatives to pretrial detention in June and judges released more than 1,600 people. That being said, its still one of the murder capitals in the world, so if youre an inexperienced travellers, you wont be safe. So no. The mission in early December was ostensibly to raid a casa loca, an abandoned home used by gang members. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. Gracias a Dios Department due to crime. 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. Gang violence and organized crime are leading causes of displacement from Honduras. Radio Globo directorDavid Romero, convicted of defamation in 2016, died in prison from Covid-19 in July. Reconsider travel to Honduras due to crime. In June 2020, a new criminal code came into effect. 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. The UNspecialrapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders called Honduras one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders in Latin America. 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.

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