The CA-4 agreement among El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras allows for the inspection-free movement of citizens among these countries, reducing overall inspection at land crossings. 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. 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. Vehicles often drive at night without adequate lighting. Please check your download folder. Crime in Honduras in 2012, according to the U.N., Honduras experienced. Develop and implement standardized procedures for victim identification and referral, including screening for indicators of forced criminal activity among children involved in gang-related crimes. The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this reports publication assesses Honduras at Level 3, indicating travelers should reconsider travel due to crime. The following diseases are prevalent in Honduras: Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, Malaria, and Zika. Since 2010, there have been approximately 60 murders of U.S. citizens reported in Honduras. 0. In 2021, almost 39 homicides were committed per 100,000 inhabitants in Honduras. Municipalities With Highest Number of Deaths Attributed to Traffic Accidents 200 150 100 179 177 50 61 52 39 0 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 24 23 23 22 21 19 16, January to December 2019, Secretariat of Security Honduran National Police Honduras 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report. Traffickers exploit Honduran adults and children in forced labor in street vending, forced begging, domestic service, drug trafficking, and the informal sector in their own country, as well as forced labor in other countries, particularly Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Due to the remote nature of these areas, the governments ability to respond to violence or other problems is often very limited, as is access to medical facilities. If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime, contact the local police and U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), through the Spotlight Initiative and in partnership with civil society organizations, launched the "The Other Pandemic" campaign in order to activate a social movement to address and prevent gender-based violence. 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. By comparison, the United States has a global safety ranking of 128. The women who have lost their lives violently this year are women who can no longer contribute to the economy and development of Honduras", she regretted. Honduras decided in late 2018, based on reciprocity, to institute the same reporting requirement. Historically, governments have. It is also recommended that drivers vary their routes and schedules so as to not create a predictable routine. The government did not report penalizing any employment agencies for fraudulent recruitment practices or charging recruitment fees to workers. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. AUDIE CORNISH,. 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. Roads have poor lighting and markings. Learn about employment opportunities across the UNSDG. Gangs control some of the taxi services. Armed robbery is a common problem, with armed bandits attacking minibusses and vans loaded with tourists traveling from the airport to their hotels in San Pedro Sula. El Salvador used to have a high crime rate, but that is not the case anymore. NGOs reported authorities did not properly identify children forced to engage in illegal activities by criminal groups, reporting that the government may have inappropriately treated such children as criminals instead of victims. As a result, there is no longer free travel between Honduras and Nicaragua. As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Honduras, and traffickers exploit victims from Honduras abroad. They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. Country-specific Vaccination and Health Guidance. This report is a result of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and complies with Federal reporting requirements, specifically 20 U.S. Code Section 1092 (f). 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. The following day, protesters started a fire outside of one of the U.S. Embassys entrances during demonstrations against public-sector reforms in the country. 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. "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. "My respect to the brave women survivors of domestic violence! Travelers are responsible for ensuring that they have adequate health coverage while in Honduras. An NGO noted courts continued to delay trafficking cases despite a requirement in the anti-trafficking law to process such cases in a timely manner, an issue further exacerbated by the pandemic. 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. Violent transnational criminal organizations are also involved in narcotics trafficking and other illicit commerce. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2018 was 38.93, a 5.01% decline from 2017. CountryReports 1997 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved. See the description of highways/areas to be avoided in the Traffic Safety and Road Conditions section below for details. There have been multiple incidents of gang members destroying city buses and taxis, and reports that gang members rob, assault, rape, kidnap, or murder passengers. Fire Department operations: +504-2231-1667. As a result, criminals operate with a high degree of impunity. The government offered services to both forced labor and sex trafficking victims but identified a disproportionately low number of forced labor victims compared to the estimated prevalence of forced labor in the country. Most cruise line passengers experience no problems, but there have been reports of associated armed robbery and carjacking. Airlines estimate that approximately 250,000 U.S. citizens flew into Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, or Roatn in 2019. First responders referred potential trafficking victims to CICESCTs immediate response team, composed of two psychologists and a social worker, for immediate support. However, with respect to sex trafficking, these penalties were not commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. CICESCT referred 37 victimsfive boys, 22 girls, and 10 womento government and NGO shelters for additional care. Counterfeit U.S. currency is also common. 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. The government conducted law enforcement operations targeting irregular migration and increased border enforcement, leading to 160 arrests for smuggling crimes that increased migrants vulnerability to trafficking. Level of crime: 66.67: High: Crime increasing in the past 3 years: 78.57: . The new amendments to the penal code lowered the penalties for trafficking crimes, resulting in penalties that were not commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. Since its inception in 2016, MACCIH has worked with the Public Ministry to achieve success on several significant cases, including against current and former public officials. LGBTI+ travelers should exercise caution, especially when expressing affection in public. Crime Information for Tourists in Ecuador Crime is a severe problem in Ecuador. Reports of kidnappings of U.S. citizens are not common, with zero reports for 2019. In January 2012, the Peace Corps suspended its program in Honduras in order to review the safety and security of its volunteers. 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. Index; Crime Index: 51.16: Safety Index: 48.84: Crime rates in Roatan, Honduras. Review the State Departments webpage on security for travelers with disabilities. Weather Alert for U.S. Citizens - Tropical Storm Julia (7 October, 2022) Message for U.S. Citizens: Absentee Voting Week is October 1-8, 2022 (28 September, 2022) Message for U.S. Citizens: Town Hall with Ambassador Dogu and Consular Services also Available in Roatan, Honduras (14 September, 2022) Experts observed that judges lack of specialized knowledge or experience in handling trafficking cases impeded successful prosecution and conviction of cases. Anyone with information is strongly encouraged to report the matter. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Honduras. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Honduras remained on Tier 2. During the presentation of these findings, Alice Shackelford called for "changing the narrative and expressing our intolerance towards this type of violence". 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. Authorities reported restrictions implemented to mitigate the pandemic impeded investigations in commercial venues where trafficking has been known to occur and slowed investigations and prosecutions of trafficking crimes. As a result of Honduran government efforts in close cooperation with the United States, homicide rates have fallen from 86.0 per 100,000 residents in 2012 to 43.6 per 100,000 at the end of 2019. My decision was to die." Compare Roatan with: . Highlights July 27, 2022: Student Reports of Bullying: Results from the 2019 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey July 12, 2022: Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools in 2019-20: Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety June 28, 2022: 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. First Lady Ana Garcia de Hernandezs Migration Task Force continued to coordinate a whole-of-government approach to informing Hondurans about the dangers of irregular migration, including trafficking risks, and the government continued public awareness campaigns warning of trafficking risks along migratory routes through Guatemala and Mexico. 0. Among the findings is that nine out of 10 news stories promote the dissemination of morbid details, include inadequate justifications and stereotypical reporting, which adds on to the misrepresentation of reality, which affects how this type of news is understood and interpreted by the public. Some would-be muggers and gang members keep to a daily schedule, riding city buses from one stop to the next, committing criminal acts with impunity along the way. Most demonstrations were concentrated in or around city centers, public buildings, and other public areas. The Government of Honduras does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. 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. 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. If I did, I would get beaten up, explained a survivor of gender-based violencewho spoke anonymously with us to protect her safetyduring a visit of UN authorities to a safe house. Land title procedures have been an issue leading to investment disputes involving U.S. nationals who are landowners. 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. The Embassy cannot secure the release or act as legal representation for any U.S. citizen. The ambulance does not have paramedics or emergency medical equipment; it functions solely as transport to hospitals. We have provided a few examples below that you can copy and paste to your site: Your image export is now complete. Organized criminal groups, including local and transnational gangs and narcotics traffickers, were significant perpetrators of violent crimes and committed acts of homicide, torture, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, intimidation, and other threats and violence directed against human rights defenders, judicial authorities, lawyers, The country does not appear to be a terrorist safe haven. It is urgent to pass the law on safe houses where women who manage to get away from violent situations are taken care of. In contrast, the enrollment in secondary schools dropped to 52%, while post-secondary education was attended by just 26% of the relevant age group in 2020. . The government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts. Honduras 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report. The government adapted its training and awareness-raising activities targeting groups at high risk of trafficking and potential first responders to online platforms, reaching a broader geographic range of stakeholders. Avoid protests, which can quickly turn violent. The campaign includes a docuseries in which the testimonies of women survivors, like Rosa Mara, are central to raise awareness among the Honduran population on zero tolerance of all forms ofviolenceagainstwomenand girls. Responding police fired tear gas in and around the main terminal to regain control after protesters entered the building and airport grounds. Do not travel to Gracias a Dios Department due to crime. The limited capacity of the government to enforce international standards related to natural resource exploitation has resulted in higher levels of conflict in the extractive and electrical generation industries. There are claims of widespread corruption in land sales, deed filing, and dispute resolution, including claims against attorneys, real estate companies, judges, and local officials. Air pollution can aggravate or lead to respiratory problems during the dry season due to widespread forest fires and agricultural burning. 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 their wellbeing and that of their families.
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