honduras crime and safety report 2022

The security situation is expected to continue to deteriorate in 2020 and 2021. Sexual Exploitation of Children: The commercial sexual exploitation of children, especially in sex trafficking, remained a problem. Cable signal theft and counterfeit products are the most prevalent violations of intellectual property rights in Honduras. Corruption along with a lack of investigative resources and judicial delays led to widespread impunity, including in security forces. INCIDENTS. ELITES AND CRIME / 1 NOV 2022 Honduras has freed dozens of individuals tied to organized crime a year after reforming its money laundering law. . Review the State Departments webpage on. According to UNDP data, informal workers played a large role in nearly every industry, including agriculture and fishing; mining; manufacturing; utilities; construction; wholesale retail, hotels, and restaurants; transport and storage; and personal services. 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. As of September the Public Ministry had received nine reports of racial or ethnic discrimination. Journalists; environmental activists; human rights defenders; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and. Some passengers opt to travel armed when using public transportation, which sometimes results in armed confrontations where innocent bystanders are injured or killed in the crossfire. 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. With offices throughout the country, the ombudsperson received cases that otherwise might not have risen to national attention. Honduras lacks a comprehensive legislative framework that includes women with disabilities and policies to combat domestic violence. Historically, governments have responded to organized crime with iron-fist security strategies. On October 7, the National Congress passed changes to the money-laundering law to designate civil society organizations as politically exposed persons due to organizations use of foreign aid. Penalties for facilitating child sex trafficking are six to 12 years in prison and monetary fines. 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, a. The law prohibits all forms of forced labor, but the government did not effectively implement or enforce the law. The incident allegedly occurred in a place of employment. The government had a nascent system to provide legal protection to refugees. The law requires individuals and companies that employ more than 20 school-age children at their facilities to provide a location for a school. Seek legal representation before admitting or signing any legal form that acknowledges culpability. Gang violence is widespread in and around urban areas. Journalists; environmental activists; human rights defenders; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals; and people with disabilities are among the groups targeted for violence. The law requires that persons with disabilities have access to buildings, but few buildings were accessible, and the government did not effectively implement laws or programs to provide such access. Nevertheless, social discrimination against LGBTQI+ persons persisted, as did physical violence. Criminals sometimes obtain personal information through social media, the internet, or a victims family member. Credible observers noted problems in trial procedures, such as a lack of admissible evidence, judicial corruption, witness intimidation, and an ineffective witness protection program. Also see the Department of Labors Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings. The law prohibits employers from requiring pregnancy tests as a prerequisite for employment; penalties were not sufficient to deter violations. The law criminalizes discrimination based on race and ethnicity and includes crimes committed against individuals because of race or ethnicity as aggravating circumstances to increase penalties for criminal offenses. Most child labor occurred in rural areas. Between January and March this year, authorities have destroyed . The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities. Indigenous communities continued to report threats and acts of violence against them and against community and environmental activists. Exercise extreme caution driving on isolated stretches of road and passing other vehicles on mountainous curves. Hondurans continue to be affected by MS-13 and Calle 18 gang activity in cities such as Tegucigalpa, Choloma, La Ceiba, Tela, and San Pedro Sula. This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa. The Honduran National Police wear blue uniforms, while the PMOP normally wear green camouflage. Vasquez was the leader of the Union of Field Workers, a member of the Lenca community, an environmental activist, and a LIBRE Party candidate for Congress. Most of these attacks involved gang members demanding extortion payments. As of September, more than 20,000 people were detained in prisons with capacity for under 11,000. Spurred by anger with the government over accusations of public corruption, allegations of involvement in narcotics trafficking, and efforts to pass controversial education reform, protests and demonstrations were near-daily occurrences at times during 2019. The law prohibits night work and overtime for minors younger than 18, but the STSS may grant special permission for minors between the ages of 16 to 18 to work in the evening if such employment does not adversely affect their education. Traffic signs, even on major highways, are often inadequate; streets are often unmarked even in major cities. Contraception supplies continued to be limited. Most demonstrations were concentrated in or around city centers, public buildings, and other public areas. Review OSACs report, If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime, contact the local police and U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa. The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance forHonduras. Meanwhile, 59% reported having been assaulted at least once while a passenger in a taxi (Colectivo and Rolatero) in the past 12 months, 32% twice, 6% three times, and 3% more than three times. Find contact information for available medical services and available air ambulance services on the U.S. Embassy/Consulate website. Honduras lacks the infrastructure to maintain water purity and food safety. Driving in Honduras can be dangerous. The 18th Street and MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) gangs are the most active and powerful. Despite incremental progress, government capacities remained relatively nascent and limited. While the risk from crime in Honduras remains a concern, most U.S. citizens visiting or residing in Honduras are unaffected by violence and visit for tourism or humanitarian aid work without incident. Access to Asylum: The law provides for granting asylum or refugee status. Passengers on public buses have been the victims of robbery at roadblocks and bus stops, during daytime and nighttime hours. The National Interinstitutional Security Force coordinates the overlapping responsibilities of the national police, military police of public order, National Intelligence Directorate, and Public Ministry during interagency operations. The Linn County Sheriff's Office . Deputies arrested James Weatherly, 63, after serving a search warrant on a property in the 1300 block of West First Street in Halsey, an agency news release said. Gangs control some of the taxi services. The Secretariat of Human Rights reported three prisoner deaths due to COVID-19 through September. The law prohibits all the worst forms of child labor. 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. There were credible complaints that police occasionally failed to obtain the required authorization before entering private homes. Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by government agents ; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including threats to media members by criminal elements and the existence of criminal libel laws; serious government corruption; lack of investigation of and accountability for gender-based violence; and crimes involving violence or threats of violence against indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, and against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex persons. The law requires prisoners to work at least five hours a day, six days a week. Employers frequently refused to comply with STSS orders that required them to reinstate workers who had been dismissed for participating in union activities. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. Violence against LGBT individuals displaces many internally and forces others to leave the country to seek asylum. 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. Workers had difficulty exercising the rights to form and join unions and to engage in collective bargaining, and the government failed to enforce applicable laws effectively. honduras crime and safety report 2021 - smartfxmarket.com Asylum seekers and refugees continued to face acute protection risks in border zones. 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, Internal Displacement, Migration, and Asylum. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. Litigants may sue a criminal defendant for damages if authorized by a criminal court. Despite being considered the best private hospital in Tegucigalpa, it is not Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited; JCI is an independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations. U.S. citizens have been the victims of a wide range of crimes, including murder, kidnapping, rape, assault, and property crimes.