The government maintained the Interinstitutional Commission for the Protection of Persons Displaced by Violence and created the Directorate for the Protection of Persons Internally Displaced by Violence within the Secretariat of Human Rights. Despite incremental progress, government capacities remained relatively nascent and limited. Although the law prohibits such practices, government officials received complaints and investigated alleged abuses by members of the security forces on the streets and in detention centers. U.S. Honduras' population growth rate has slowed since the 1990s and is now 1.2% annually with a birth rate that averages 2.1 children per woman and more among rural, indigenous, and poor women. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2019 was 42.01, a 7.91% increase from 2018. If a victims physical injuries do not reach the severity required to categorize the violence as a criminal act, the legal penalty for a first offense is a sentence of one to three months of community service. Most serious crime does not affect tourists, but attacks on foreigners, including armed robbery and sexual assault,. Honduras's peak of violent crime was . The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities. See the Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report at https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/. There was no information available on any major industrial accidents. Children often worked alongside family members in agriculture and other work, such as fishing, construction, transportation, and small businesses. On March 28, transgender activist Vanessa Zuniga was killed in Tela, Atlantida Department. Honduras has the highest femicide rate in the Latin American region, with 6.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. 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. 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. A study by the National Violence Observatory of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) placed the country as the most violent territory in Central America, with a homicide rate of 38.5 per 100,000 inhabitants. The law requires police to inform persons of the grounds for their arrest and bring detainees before a competent judicial authority within 24 hours. For crimes with minimum sentences of six years imprisonment, the law authorizes pretrial detention of up to two years. They face violence from gangs, the national civil police and the. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. CONADEH received four reports as of August. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor, c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment, d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation. As of September the Public Ministry had received nine reports of racial or ethnic discrimination. However, Nicaragua was hit with renewed political trouble in 2018, and it was hit hard. The law permits defendants to confront witnesses against them and offer witnesses and evidence in their defense. to La Palma a mountain town just under 8 miles away from the Honduras border. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. Discrimination and Societal Abuses, Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, a. The Secretariat of Human Rights reported three prisoner deaths due to COVID-19 through September. Credible allegations of corruption in the STSS continued. In addition the center estimated approximately 937,000 individuals were forcibly displaced by natural disasters during 2020. Government Human Rights Bodies: A semiautonomous commissioner for human rights, Blanca Izaguirre, served as an ombudsperson and investigated complaints of human rights abuses. See the methodology. The law applies equally to citizens and foreigners, regardless of gender, and prescribes a maximum eight-hour shift per day for most workers, a 44-hour workweek, and at least one 24-hour rest period for every six days of work. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported that authorities at times failed to enforce these requirements effectively. NGOs reported IDPs were at increased risk of victimization and exploitation by criminal groups, which was also often the cause of displacement. May Be Getting Away With It. The law entered into force on November 1. Many prisoners had access to weapons and other contraband, inmates attacked other inmates with impunity, and inmates and their associates outside prison threatened prison officials and their families. Travel to Honduras should be . See the Department of States International Religious Freedom Report at https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/. World Report 2021 - Honduras Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. No cases were reported during the year. Visiting Honduras right now is as safe as it ever was: not very. OSAC promotes effective cooperation by working to assist the U.S. private sector to better anticipate security issues, including identifying and tracking threats, particularly those targeting private sector personnel, facilities, investments, interests, and intellectual property. . The Ministries of Security and of Defense both have human rights offices that coordinate human rights-related activities with the Secretariat of Human Rights. The law also requires that public-sector workers involved in the refining, transportation, and distribution of petroleum products submit their grievances to the Secretariat of Labor and Social Security (STSS) before striking. The World Bank reported in 2018 that the adolescent birth rate was 72 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19. 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. Honduras is a constitutional, multiparty republic. The state of emergency, in place since Dec. 6 in 165 areas of Honduras' largest two cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, has been expanded to 235 of the country's 298 municipalities, the . On April 27, the Public Ministry filed an indictment against police officer Jarol Rolando Perdomo Sarmiento for the February 6 murder of Keyla Martinez in La Esperanza, Intibuca Department. Safety and security Crime There are high levels of crime in Honduras. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The law prohibits police from unionizing (see section 7.a.). The law mandates that authorities release detainees whose cases have not yet come to trial and whose time in pretrial detention already exceeds the maximum prison sentence for their alleged crime. Transgender persons are prohibited from changing their legal gender status. On March 3, unknown assailants killed Martin Pandy, president of the Garifuna community of Corozal, and another community member. Traveling around the country is a more complicated matter. Most women in the workforce engaged in lower-status and lower-paying informal occupations, such as domestic service, without the benefit of legal protections. These conditions contributed to an unstable, dangerous environment in the penitentiary system. The armed forces, which report to the Secretariat of Defense, are responsible for external security but also exercise some domestic security responsibilities in support of the national police and other civilian authorities. Indigenous communities continued to report threats and acts of violence against them and against community and environmental activists. According to the Global Cybercrime Report, the United States reached the prominent third-best position with a Cyber-Safety Score of 8.73. Impunity for such crimes remained high, as was the impunity rate for all types of crime. in september 2021, honduras added 315 new participants and in november 2021, guatemala graduated a class of 120 women, including representatives from highland and afro-guatemalan garifuna. Although the law generally prohibits such actions, a legal exception allows government authorities to enter a private residence to prevent a crime or in case of another emergency. October and February were the deadliest months, with 43 and 38 women murdered on account of their gender, respectively. A revision to the penal code that entered into force in June 2020 broadly reduces criminal penalties for corruption by officials. CMPD plans to continue on areas of improvement, including a decrease in violent crime, recruitment and retention effort and ensuring officers have the best equipment on duty. The Taliban, which regained control of the country in 2021, has pledged to stamp out the opium industry, but it is such a vital part of the country's struggling economy that it will be difficult to eliminate. The lack of space for social distancing combined with the lack of adequate sanitation made prison conditions even more life threatening during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law permits fines, and while the monetary penalty is sufficient to deter violations and commensurate with the penalties for similar crimes, such as fraud, the failure of the government to collect those fines facilitated continued labor code violations. - March 2003 Non-Government Organization Reports Human Rights Watch Violators face penalties of one to three years in prison and possible suspension of their professional licenses, but the government did not effectively enforce the law. CONTINUOUS ENFORCEMENT OF THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS IN OMORO COUNTY. There were no credible reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities. Civil society continued to criticize the law for classification of documents related to security and national defense, saying it limited transparency and allowed officials to use the classification of documents to obscure wrongdoing. The government generally respected these provisions. The law provides for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, with some restrictions, and the government generally respected this right. The law requires prisoners to work at least five hours a day, six days a week. Fines for child labor were not sufficient to deter violations and not commensurate with penalties for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. The governments National Policy to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination seeks to promote equality and combat discrimination related to the countrys seven indigenous and two Afro-descendent groups, with a focus on social and political participation; access to education, health care, justice, and employment opportunities; and rights to ancestral lands and natural resources. Even when traffic signals are working, drivers often ignore them. This island seems perfect, but the crime reports do concern us. In 2021, almost 39 homicides were committed per 100,000 inhabitants in Honduras. Many employers discriminated against women. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process, Section 4. 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. Defendants may receive free assistance from an interpreter. Honduras. Administrative penalties were insufficient to deter violations and were rarely enforced. Also see the Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report at https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/. Inconsistent, retroactive implementation of provisions of the revised code led to logjams in the legal system and impunity for some of the accused. As of September the STSS had an insufficient number of inspectors to enforce the law effectively. These sort of crimes can be avoided by dressing down, being careful about where expensive belongings are left, and keeping to safe areas. The government ended the curfew on October 1. On October 7, the National Congress increased penalties for forced labor under the trafficking-in-persons article of the penal code from five to eight years imprisonment to 10 to 15 years, bringing the penalties in line with the penalties for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. NGOs reported the government did not effectively combat discrimination and promote equal access to government services or employment opportunities. Through August CONADEH received six reports of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Received a complaint about honduras crime and safety report 2021 at Pioneer Park with murder November 2017 shorter! The law prohibits the sale, distribution, and use of emergency contraception for any reason, including for survivors of sexual violence. The STSS completed 29 child labor inspections as of September and identified 13 minors working without permission. The law presumes an accused person is innocent. Chances are, if you are arriving via a cruise ship, you will be safe. There were reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. The law prohibits illicit association, defined as gatherings by persons bearing arms, explosive devices, or dangerous objects with the purpose of committing a crime, and prescribes prison terms of two to four years and a moderate fine for anyone who convokes or directs an illicit meeting or demonstration. As of August it continued to provide protection to 12 journalists, among other types of activists and human rights defenders. The law provides for freedom of association, and the government generally respected this right. Backsliding occurred in cases brought during the four-year mandate of the OAS Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras; several of its cases were dismissed or postponed as courts heard appeals based on the new code. It is, in fact, much safer than mainland Honduras and feels infinitely safer than the U.S., if for no other reason than the total absence of a gun culture. The law permits strikes by workers in export-processing zones and free zones for companies that provide services to industrial parks, but it requires that strikes not impede the operations of other factories in such parks. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is aviation's highest priority. Penalties include prison sentences of up to two years and monetary fines. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. Employers frequently penalized agricultural workers for taking legally authorized days off. The government launched a new Ministry of Transparency in November 2020 to address some of these concerns. There were credible complaints that police occasionally failed to obtain the required authorization before entering private homes. During 2021, a total of 342 femicides were recorded in Honduras. The law prohibits members of the armed forces and police, as well as certain other public employees, from forming labor unions. The designation requires banks to impose a higher level of scrutiny on politically exposed persons financial transactions. The government investigated and prosecuted many of these crimes, particularly through the national police's Violent Crimes Task Force. The Military Police of Public Order report to military authorities but conduct operations sanctioned by civilian security officials as well as by military leaders. Driving in Honduras can be dangerous. Ocean via the Gulf of Fonseca in the Caribbean and access to the local police and property crime 1. The law allows persons charged with some felonies to avail themselves of bail and gives prisoners the right of prompt access to family members. Violence was often rooted in a broader context of conflict over land and natural resources, extensive corruption, lack of transparency and community consultation, other criminal activity, and limited state ability to protect the rights of vulnerable communities. Estimates of the number of children younger than 18 in the countrys workforce ranged from 370,000 to 510,000. Impunity for such crimes remained high, as was the impunity rate for all types of crime. Alerts. Sexual Exploitation of Children: The commercial sexual exploitation of children, especially in sex trafficking, remained a problem. Civil society groups reported that women often did not report domestic violence or withdrew charges because they feared, or were economically dependent on, the aggressor. Under the new inspection law, the STSS has the authority temporarily to shut down workplaces where there is an imminent danger of fatalities; however, there were not enough trained inspectors to deter violations sufficiently. According to government estimates, children with disabilities attended school at a lower rate than the general population. Forced labor occurred in street vending, domestic service, the transport of drugs and other illicit goods, other criminal activity, and the informal sector. The Secretariat of Human Rights stated it was taking every precaution to protect prisoners rights and assure that the work provided opportunities for prisoners to develop skills they could use in legal economic activities after their release. On April 23, the Public Ministry arrested and charged Josue Exequiel Martinez Martinez, Siriaco Mejia Santos, Francisco Lopez Lazo, and Mario Anibal Lopez Velasquez for the December 2020 murder of Felix Vasquez. Women - Honduras has the fifth-highest rate of violence against women in the world. However, crime and violence are serious problems throughout Honduras and the country has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Puerto Rico (Spanish for 'rich port'; abbreviated PR; Taino: Boriken, Borinquen), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit. The law provides for an independent judiciary, but the justice system was poorly funded and staffed, inadequately equipped, often ineffective, and subject to intimidation, corruption, politicization, and patronage. A wide variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. The Public Ministry reported seven cases of alleged illegal detention or arbitrary arrest as of September. If the STSS grants permission, children between 14 and 16 may work a maximum of four hours a day, and those between 16 and 18 may work up to six hours a day. Child Abuse: Child abuse remained a serious problem. A 2019 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights report noted there were insufficient hospital beds and inadequate supplies at the only hospital that serviced Gracias a Dios Department, home to most of the Miskito community. OSAC promotes effective cooperation by working to assist the U.S. private sector to better anticipate security issues, including identifying and tracking threats, particularly those targeting private sector personnel, facilities, investments, interests, and intellectual property. The Public Ministry reported two such cases in judicial processing and five other cases under investigation as of September. Prisoners suffered from overcrowding, insufficient access to food and water, violence, and alleged abuse by prison officials. 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