honduras crime and safety report 2020

The quasi-governmental National Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment (CONAPREV) received 210 complaints of the use of torture or cruel and inhuman treatment, many related to the enforcement of the national curfew during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law establishes an independent and impartial judiciary in civil matters, including access to a court to seek damages for human rights violations. Child Abuse: Child abuse remained a serious problem. The number of inspections dropped severely from 2019 as a result of the national curfew imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Q: What happened to the original stars of "The Wild Wild West"? 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. The Guttmacher Institute reported 78 percent of women of reproductive age had their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods in 2019. Administrative penalties were insufficient to deter violations and were rarely enforced. Around 191,000 people were. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported 1,695 cases of COVID-19 in 25 prisons as of September, including cases among medical personnel, security personnel, and administrators. The national curfew and shutdown of government offices in response to COVID-19 severely hampered government efforts to address abuses during most of the year. The Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH) reported 28 cases of alleged torture by security forces through September, while the Public Ministry received three such reports. Lori Lightfoot rode into the Chicago mayor's office in 2019 as a reform candidate, offering a break from the city's clubby political scene while making history as the first Black The law grants workers the right to form and join unions of their choice, bargain collectively, and strike. Peace Brigades International (PBI) reported more than 34,000 persons were detained for violating the curfew. Political Parties and Political Participation: Civil society and opposition parties accused officials of using government resources to attract voters. Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The minimum legal age of marriage for both boys and girls is 18. CONAPREV reported every prison had a functioning health clinic with at least one medical professional, but basic medical supplies and medicines were in short supply throughout the prison system. The Ministry of Securitys Directorate of Disciplinary Police Affairs (DIDADPOL) investigated members of the Honduran National Police (HNP) accused of human rights abuses. The reports alleged illicit gains of more than 1.64 billion lempiras ($68 million) by government officials in the purchase of medical supplies. Members of the security forces committed some abuses. Organized-crime organizations, 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, and human rights defenders. The law provides for freedom of association, and the government generally respected this right. The government generally respected these provisions. The appeals court would have to rule on the motion before the trial could move forward. The PBI reported an incident on April 23 near Tela, Atlantida Department, involving the alleged use of live rounds by police in response to a protest, injuring two individuals. Even so, many prisoners remained in custody after completing their full sentences, and sometimes even after an acquittal, because officials failed to process their releases expeditiously. Honduras: homicide rate 2014-2021. The COVID-19 lockdown and curfew affected sex workers income and further exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. The law requires an employer to begin collective bargaining once workers establish a union, and it specifies that if more than one union exists at a company, the employer must negotiate with the largest. 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. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts. Freedom of Expression, Including for the Press, b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association, e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons, Section 3. 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. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2017 was 40.98, a 26.23% decline from 2016. Christian James Morrow. The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and provides for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court. 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. "They came up on me with a loaded 9mm gun with an extended clip, at least 40 bullets or so," a Houston homeowner, who wished to remain anonymous, told FOX 26 . is a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes the development of international air navigation safety and security . The law provides citizens the right to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on nearly universal and equal suffrage. Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, a. Trying again, focused this time on crime, he was . The Public Ministry is responsible for prosecuting violations. . Unions also raised concerns about the use of temporary contracts and part-time employment, suggesting that employers used these mechanisms to prevent unionization and avoid providing full benefits. The victims were land-rights defenders from the Afro-descendant Garifuna minority group. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings, c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees, f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence. | Learn more about Daniel Jackson's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn There were no credible reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities. Coordinator for the Arctic Region, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Office of International Religious Freedom, Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of the Science and Technology Adviser, Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Bureau of Information Resource Management, Office of Management Strategy and Solutions, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. As of June the Violence Observatory reported killings of 71 persons younger than 18. NGOs reported irregularities, including problems with voter rolls, buying and selling of electoral workers credentials, and lack of transparency in campaign financing. There were numerous reports of government corruption during the year. Homicide Rates in the Northern. On June 19, Garifuna leader Antonio Bernardez was found dead from bullet wounds six days after his disappearance. Financial Disclosure: Public officials are subject to a financial disclosure law but did not always comply. 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. 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 government used pretrial detention centers to hold high-profile suspects and those in need of additional security. Estimates of the number of children younger than 18 in the countrys workforce ranged from 370,000 to 510,000. The law requires police to inform persons of the grounds for their arrest and bring detainees before a competent judicial authority within 24 hours. 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 not work outside the country or in hazardous conditions, including in offshore fishing. The law states that a womans employment should be appropriate according to her physical state and capacity. The Jewish community numbered approximately 275 members. The Public Ministry reported 15 cases of alleged illegal detention or arbitrary arrest as of November. Honduras' highest judicial body is the Supreme Court of Justice, which includes chambers for constitutional, criminal and civil cases. CHICAGO (AP) Four years ago, Paul Vallas finished toward the bottom of the pack in a crowded race for Chicago mayor. Displaced Children: Civil society organizations reported that common causes of forced displacement for youth included death threats for failure to pay extortion, attempted recruitment by gangs, witnessing criminal activity by gangs or organized-crime groups, domestic violence, attempted kidnappings, family members involvement in drug dealing, victimization by traffickers, rape including commercial sexual exploitation by gangs, discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, sexual harassment, and discrimination for having a chronic medical condition. Civil society continued to raise problems with minimum wage violations, highlighting agricultural companies in the south as frequent violators. Ensuring that critical security information is shared with those who need it, when they need it, OSAC is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer constituents' questions with expert analysis of rapidly evolving security challenges overseas. The law provides for the right to a fair and public trial; however, the judiciary did not always enforce this right. The government relies heavily on the . In response to the pervasive violence in the prison system, the government declared an emergency in the National Penitentiary System in December 2019. The STSS approved 43 such authorizations through September. As of September no new trial date had been set. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. The law prohibits employers from requiring pregnancy tests as a prerequisite for employment; penalties were not sufficient to deter violations. You can add more than one country or area. While all formal workers are entitled to social security, there were reports that both public- and private-sector employers failed to pay into the social security system. The grand jury subpoena that has been issued to Pence seeks documents and testimony related to the events of January 6, 2021, when the US Capitol was attacked by pro-Trump rioters as Congress . Authorities arrested Bogran on October 5 and released him on October 8 on bail pending trial. The Secretariat of Human Rights provided training to security forces to increase respect for human rights. The West Bank and Gaza Strip. Preliminary data published by the countries in the region comprising Central America and the Dominican Republic shows that there were fewer homicides in 2020 than in 2019. The Organization of American States (OAS) and EU observer teams agreed the margin of victory separating incumbent president Hernandez from challenger Salvador Nasralla was extremely narrow. NGOs continued to criticize the government prohibition on emergency contraception, including for survivors of sexual violence, although the government did provide victims of sexual violence access to other health care services. The STSS may levy a fine against companies that fail to pay social security obligations, but the amount was not sufficient to deter violations. Major urban centers and drug-trafficking routes experienced the highest rates of violence. osac crime and safety report hondurasmary catherine o'shea daughter of virginia mayo. Honduras is a constitutional, multiparty republic. The Public Ministry created a new anticorruption unit, the Special Prosecution Unit against Corruption Networks, which is charged with pursuing MACCIH legacy corruption cases. The armed forces, which report to the Secretariat of Defense, are responsible for external security but also exercise some domestic security responsibilities in a supporting role to the national police and other civilian authorities. Low salaries and a lack of internal controls rendered judicial officials susceptible to bribery, although the Supreme Court significantly raised salaries during the year and made improvements in transparency. By August it had provided protection to two journalists, among other types of activists and human rights defenders. According to witnesses, the kidnappers wore police investigative branch uniforms. By comparison, the United States has a global safety ranking of 128. Respect for Civil Liberties, Including: a. On September 16, the Public Ministry filed an indictment against army military police officer Josue Noe Alvarado Giron for the April 24 murder of Marvin Rolando Alvarado Santiago at a military roadblock in Omoa, Cortes. The STSS completed 13 inspections as of March and did not find any minors working without permission. Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes all forms of rape of women or men, including spousal rape. The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority. Litigants may sue a criminal defendant for damages if authorized by a criminal court. The legal age of consent is 18. COLUMBUS Ohio Gov. Such an order may be effective for up to six days, after which the judge must hold a pretrial hearing to examine whether there is probable cause to continue pretrial detention. The law prohibits police from unionizing (see section 7.a.). Sexual Exploitation of Children: The commercial sexual exploitation of children, especially in sex trafficking, remained a problem. The director of Invest-H, Marco Antonio Bogran Corrales, resigned from his position in July and was indicted in October on two corruption charges for embezzling an estimated 1.3 million lempiras ($54,000) in public funds and funneling a contract for mobile hospitals to his uncle. You have questions. On June 11, alleged members of the 18th Street gang in the National Womens Penitentiary in Tegucigalpa killed six alleged members of the MS-13 gang. The vast majority of children who worked did so without STSS permits. The law allows persons charged with some felonies to avail themselves of bail and gives prisoners the right of prompt access to family members. Internal displacement was generally caused by violence, national and transnational gang activity, and human trafficking. Police were investigating the killings. According to the arrest report, he "was threatening and abusive, challenging others to fight, and making loud, unusual noises." Additionally, he was charged with "impeding passengers' ability to safely board (an) American Airlines flight." He was taken to the county jail. TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK : HIGH Public transport is highly risky in Honduras. Number of. The OAS mission found that the 1.5 percent margin of victory, combined with numerous irregularities in vote processing, left it unable to state with certainty who won the presidential election. Recent Elections: In December 2017 Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party was declared the winner in the November elections. The law requires overtime pay, bans excessive compulsory overtime, limits overtime to four hours a day for a maximum workday of 12 hours, and prohibits the practice of requiring workers to complete work quotas before leaving their place of employment. 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. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2019 was 42.01, a 7.91% increase from 2018. Female victims of domestic violence are entitled to certain protective measures, such as removal of the abuser from the home and prohibiting the abuser from visiting the victims work or other frequently visited places. Introductory offer for new subscribers only. Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. About. Some of the worst forms of child labor occurred, including commercial sexual exploitation of children, and NGOs reported that gangs often forced children to commit crimes, including homicide (see section 6, Children). Contraception supplies continued to be limited by shortages and insufficient funding. Prison conditions were harsh and sometimes life-threatening due to pervasive gang-related violence and the governments failure to control criminal activity within the prisons. Iota weather conditions favored a 15-25% incidence of leaf rust in five departments of Honduras by the end of 2020. On July 10, unidentified assailants shot and killed transgender activist Scarleth Campbell in Tegucigalpa. 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. In 2021, almost 39 homicides were committed per 100,000 inhabitants in Honduras. Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights, Section 6. Deportation, Circular Migration and Organized Crime Honduras Case Study; Download the Publication; Honduras: Information Gathering Mission Report; Violence in Honduras: an Analysis of the Failure in Public Security and the State'S Response to Criminality; Opendocpdf.Pdf; Honduras Elites and Organized Crime; Honduras 2019 Crime & Safety Report The law provides for freedom of expression, including for the press, with some restrictions, and the government generally respected this right. In terms of murder rate, it's the second most violent country in Central or South America, trailing only Venezuela. 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. Japan also is a member of the G-7 Counterterrorism and Counter-Crime Rome-Lyon Group. In January 2020, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Honduran government failed to reach an agreement to renew the mandate of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in . Access to Asylum: The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of the U.S. The government did not effectively enforce occupational safety and health (OSH) standards, particularly in the construction, garment assembly, and agricultural sectors, as well as in the informal economy. The government did not effectively enforce the law. This force is composed of active members of the army and national police. The law does not permit active members of the military or civilian security forces to vote. 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. Honduras With a crime index of 74.54, Honduras ranks fifth in the world in terms of crime rate. Employers frequently refused to comply with STSS orders that required them to reinstate workers who had been dismissed for participating in union activities. The EU mission agreed there were serious irregularities in the process but concluded that safeguards built into the system, including posting of voting results forms on a public website, helped promote transparency. The Federation of Agroindustry Workers Unions reported massive layoffs and cancelation of contracts in the maquila sector during the pandemic without providing welfare benefits. The law requires that persons with disabilities have access to buildings, but few buildings were accessible, and the national government did not effectively implement laws or programs to provide such access. Nam Y. Huh - staff, AP. The appeals court ruled the cases of former agriculture minister Jacobo Regalado and three members of his staff should proceed to trial. Honduras Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. The collapse of this empire left the territories of what we now understand to be Central America, to split off into separate regions. Government Human Rights Bodies: A semiautonomous commissioner for human rights, Roberto Herrera Caceres, served as an ombudsman and investigated complaints of human rights abuses. The Honduran National Police maintain internal security and report to the Secretariat of Security. The legal process against Roberto David Castillo Mejia, one of the alleged intellectual authors of the killing, continued slowly due to motions and appeals by the defense, and Castillo remained incarcerated. Honduras registered over 120,000 cases of COVID-19 and 3,100 deaths by the end of 2020, according to University of Oxford researchers. These INP-administered centers were on military installations and received some support services from the military. The law permits fines, and while the monetary penalty is commensurate with those for other laws involving denials of civil rights, such as discrimination, the failure of the government to collect those fines facilitated continued labor law violations. The law places restrictions on these rights, such as requiring that a recognized trade union represent at least 30 workers, prohibiting foreign nationals from holding union offices, and requiring that union officials work in the same substantive area of the business as the workers they represent. Physical Conditions: Prisoners suffered from severe overcrowding, malnutrition, lack of adequate sanitation and medical care, and, in some prisons, lack of adequate ventilation and lighting. 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. Most child labor occurred in rural areas. The IACHR reported the government at times used a policy of arbitrary detentions or arrests to inhibit protest. By the end of 2019, over 800,000 people from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras had sought protection either within their countries or had crossed international borders seeking asylum to escape. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor, c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment, d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation. 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 November 23, the court halted the presentation of evidence hearing after the defense filed an appeal. Persons with HIV and AIDS continued to be targets of discrimination, and they suffered disproportionately from gender-based violence. Defendants may receive free assistance from an interpreter. Some employers either refused to engage in collective bargaining or made it very difficult to do so. Birth Registration: Children derive citizenship by birth in the country, from the citizenship of their parents, or by naturalization. Yes, despite all the historical crime and violence, which don't affect tourists, El Salvador is safe to visit in 2023. Unrelated to the curfew, there were areas where authorities could not assure freedom of movement because of criminal activity and a lack of significant government presence. In 2019 the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center NGO estimated there were approximately 247,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country due to violence. A Mosheim man involved in a police pursuit in 2021 resulting in a two-vehicle crash that killed a Greene County woman entered a guilty plea Tuesday to . There was no information available on any major industrial accidents. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Section 5. International observers generally agreed the elections were free but disputed the fairness and transparency of the results. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Of course, while it's not ever good to generalize an. Health-care workers protested the lack of adequate protective equipment and delayed salary payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. In-country Movement: Under the national curfew from March 16, the government limited freedom of movement by allowing individuals to move outside their homes one day every two weeks.