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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. To Desafio, the Barrio 18 gang in Honduras was everything. We dont want to recommend traveling to the rest of Honduras with your family. EIN number 13-5660870. Simple as that. Lots of travelers stick to bottled water,but please dont. But if youre thinking about it, here are some tips. Honduras. It is important to know that Utila is very much a developed backpacker hotspot. Gangs attacking other gangs. Honduran people are friendly and welcoming. Women, children, the LGBTQ+ community, and returnees face ever growing conflict and risks, from the effects of climate change to the impacts of COVID-19 and violenceat home and on the streets.. Here are three reasons the International Rescue Committees Emergency Watchlist ranks Honduras among 20 countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2022. 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. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. Between the pandemic, ever-worsening cultural division, and a click-hungry media, it can be hard to maintain what is truth and what is sensationalism. Patrick said the inmates were captured about 7:45 AM in downtown Newton. I consent to my personal information being processed in accordance with The Broke Backpackers. Testimony provided by drug traffickers and Honduran politicians on trial in the United States have revealed the deep-seated connection between organized crime and the governing National Party. This Central American country actually has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Youll also have to take care that your children dont stay in the sun fortoo long. During the first month of the measures, 39 criminal gangs were destroyed and 652 people were arrested, while 43 kilos of cocaine and thousands of grams and rocks of crack were seized, the police said. As of August, prisons had reported 1,700 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths. Dont open the door for anyone, unless youre expecting a visit. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. That said, the development that has taken place has not totally sucked the island dry of its charm. Honduras Honduras declares war against gangs - and for control of popular narrative Xiomara Castro's crackdown on gangs is also an attempt to counter allegations the government hasn't done. It might sound like paradiseBut it isnt. Its not a good idea to go out to bars and clubs by yourself. Honduras isnt different from lots of other great backpacking countries in that youre never absolutely safe from food-borne illness. Its not very safe to drive 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. Honduras newspaper, TV channel news, online portal news, and magazine sites are getting popularity day by day around the world. 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. SafetyWing is convenient, cheap, and trouble-free Insurance was never this easy! Hondurashas endorsed the World Health OrganizationsSolidarity Call to Action for the Covid-19 Technology Access Pool, an initiative to realize equitable global access to COVID-19 health technologies through pooling of knowledge, intellectual property and data., Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in close to 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Freedom of Expression, Association, and Assembly, Attacks on Lawyers, Human Rights Defenders, and Environmental Activists, Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Violence Against Women, Migrants, Refugees, and Internally Displaced People, Bidens Challenge: Redeeming a US Role for Human Rights, Addressing the Climate Crisis in Times of Pandemic, From Flight Logs to Homeschooling, Human Rights Watch Grapples with Covids Challenges, As Online Gender-Based Violence Booms, Governments Drag Their Feet, The Other Pandemic: Fighting Inequality as We Beat Back Covid, Poverty, Pandemic, Police Violence: Ongoing Crises Demand the US Address Pervasive Racism. The poverty resulting from all this is what youll have to watch out for. 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. Plus theres Copan: the ancientMayanarchaeological site, complete with amazing sculptures. In June 2020, a new criminal code came into effect. Politicians are manipulated by criminals or other politicians. Half of underage pregnancies result from rape. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. 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. See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution and Travel Advisories. Anyone else would do well with a trusted tour group. You should ask locals on the best routes to take to any given place. Theyre fairly easy to use, but be aware of the risks. Of the 6,088,590 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX. Honduras has been through a lot in recent years. So keep that in mind and have a read of our safety tips for solo female travelers thinking of taking a trip to Honduras. People live here with children, by themselves, as couples, some retire here, and some people have even started up their own hostelsor otherbusinesses. Well Public transportation can be alittle trickyin Honduras, and its not always safe. Its a massive issue. And were not going to lie,Honduras doesnt exactly lend itself to solo travel. Individuals and state agents continute to threaten and attack journalists, press freedom groups report. Theyre old U.S. school buses that are poorly maintained,andovercrowded. Check in and let people know your plans. This helps keep everyone in poverty. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. Dont hitchhike ortake lifts from strangers , Other ways to meet fellow travelers and. There is an expat community inTrujillo. Political power brokers also have ties to drug smuggling and have even run trafficking operations themselves. The IRC is calling for stronger international cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis that displaces hundreds of thousands from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala every year. According to a State Department report last year, there are up to 10,000 gang members in Honduras, a country with roughly 8 million people. 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. It is not just murder, it's also the shocking numbers of rape, assault, and domestic violence cases, happening with near-total impunity. In January 2020, the government shut down the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). So backpacking Honduras isnt always just a breeze. In June, police detained and beat bus drivers who were allegedly protesting not being able to work due to lockdown restrictions. The UNspecialrapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders called Honduras one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders in Latin America. 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. Jesse Watters: Buying mace in Manhattan is almost as hard as getting a gun. Youll be able to travel around here with relative ease. 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. - The New York Times Inside Gang Territory In Honduras 'Either They Kill Us or We Kill Them' In one of the deadliest cities in the world, an embattled group of young men had little but their tiny. The government has set up roadblocks, deployed security forces, and used violence to prevent people from leaving the country. One good thing I can say about Roatan is that the dive sites are excellent around the island. 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. Sometimes the drivers are assaulted. Chatting to them means getting first-hand knowledge, and means your experience is going to be a lot richer. (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. It can be a super enriching experience. In July 2020, gunmen in police uniforms abducted five indigenous Garifuna men in Triunfo de la Cruz, where communities are claiming ancestral land from drug traffickers and developers. If we didnt have Bukeles example, we could probably look for some control and security responses based on strengthening institutions.. 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. Honduras partially suspends constitutional rights to tackle gangs, Its a war on the people: El Salvadors mass arrests send thousands into despair, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Violence: Honduras reached a . REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File PhotoReuters. Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency against gang crimes like extortion. We are going to be covering a whole lot of topics in this epic Honduras safety guide. The inmates, all from Honduras, had reportedly escaped custody yesterday in Scott County. 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). Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Planning a safe trip to Honduras can get quite overwhelming. The government had granted him protective measures in January 2019. The media and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) reported several cases of abusive police enforcement of the Covid-19 lockdown. Utila is unlike the rest of mainland Honduras in just about every way. 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. Youll need to be a confident traveler. According to the U.N., Honduras has the highest femicide rate in the world. Here's a list of 14: 1. This is apretty safe area to visit. 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. 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. And watch out for bad road conditions after heavy rain. Just 18 percent of Hondurans have internet access in their homes and a quarter of homes in rural areas dont have electricity. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. Everyone from children to adults are recruited. 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. It suspends some Constitutional rights and gives police more powers to arrest and hold suspects. 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. 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. 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. But nongovernmental organizations have tallied several thousand human rights violations and at least 80 in-custody deaths of people arrested during the state of exception. Is your phone eSIM ready? It submitted the case to the court in April 2019 due to Honduras lack of compliance with its recommendations, such as introducing comprehensive policies to map and prevent anti-LGBT violence and designing training programs on anti-LGBT violence for state security bodies. Judges continue to face interference, including political pressure, threats, and harassment, from the executive branch, private actors with connections to government, and organized crime. Women in Honduras face high levels of gender-based violence. His unit was headed to the Hole a labyrinthine neighbourhood of narrow streets, whose nickname was originally coined because of its location between sharp hillsides, but which has taken on a new meaning as a place where gang members disappear. The Supreme Court, particularly its president, exerts excessive control over the appointment and removal of judges, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported in 2019, and career instability limits judges independence. 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. In El Salvador, a Thin Line Between Community Policing and Vigilantism. One example:tajadas(fried plantains, topped with cabbage and served with ground beef). In these demonstrations, more than 1,500 were arrested and30 people were killed. Namely, being robbed. ThisCentral Americancountry suffers from what many countries in the region have suffered from or are currently battling with namely corruption, gangs,anddrugs. On 24 November, Hondurass leftwing president, Xiomara Castro, declared war on extortion a very real problem that causes economic stagnation, fuels violence and forces countless Hondurans to flee the country. Get your accommodation to either recommenda good company or just book one for you. Share this via Printer, As More Climate Chaos Looms, Slashing Fossil Fuels Is Key. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. Every dollar supports our mission. A Honduran woman and her children manage to cross the remnants of a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Iota. Extortion in the Northern Triangle is predominantly done from prisons, yet prison populations have been on the rise. In Honduras, the types of danger include, but are not limited to, violent gang activity, trafficking, rape, street crime and armed robbery. But the removal of military officers from an anti-gang taskforce resulted in a messy divorce that temporarily reduced the units already limited capacity opening a window for criminals and before the community policing model could have any effect, the political pressure to take decisive action against extortion boiled over. La Ceibaon the northern coast, with mountains, jungles, and beaches, is a chilled and adventurous area to explore. By BRENT MAZE. Share this via Reddit In certain areas, yes Honduras is safe to travel for families. Theres no reason to get mixed up with a gang in Honduras. 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. Share this via Telegram The US is losing allies in Latin America just as production of cocaine, fentanyl, and other synthetic drugs is going through the roof. Honduras and theUS signed anasylum cooperative agreement in 2019, whereby Honduras agreed to receivenon-Honduran asylum-seekerstransferred by the US. As of September 2020, the US had yet to begin deporting any third country nationals to Honduras under the agreement. Police were allegedly in the area when private security forces opened fired against several families but did not help the victims, witnesses told the press. Officials flew Garza, a 48-year-old . 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. World Nomads mission is to support and encourage travellers to explore their boundaries. They practice war taxing, which is essentially just demanding money from people. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to twomain gangs:Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) andBarrio 18. This has a pretty good expat community too. Read about how e-Sims work or click below to see one of the top eSIM providers on the market andditch the plastic. Of course, while it's not ever good to generalize an. 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. 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. The state of emergency, in place 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. 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. This is when things can get sketchy. And this area is great for children. They are taxed by gangs. Im nervous, repeated a young police officer driving a pickup truck crowded with heavily armed special forces officers. After irregularities and delays, the trial of David Castillo, one of the men accused of planning the 2016 killing of environmental activist Berta Cceres, began in September 2020. 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 gangs amid high levels of violence. So no. Please donate. Honduras is exposed to other climate shocks as well. A local TV correspondent needed to do a live shot for one of the countrys most-watched news programs. You can too. Theyve been doing it since 2002 protecting, connecting, and inspiring independent travellers just like you. Lanza said that 50 drivers have been killed so far in 2022, and a total of 2,500 have been killed over the last 15 years. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. 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 gangs amid high levels of violence.