As of September CONADEH had received 33 complaints. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2015 was 56.49, a 14.12% decline from 2014. Institutions such as the National Womens Institute attempted to enhance the governments response to domestic violence by opening three additional womens centers in the country. The STSS has the power to declare a work stoppage illegal, and employers may discipline employees consistent with their internal regulations, including by firing strikers, if the STSS rules that a work stoppage is illegal. As of September the Secretariat of Human Rights reported the countrys pretrial detention center held 33 individuals. See the Department of States Annual Report on International Parental Child Abduction at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/for-providers/legal-reports-and-data/reported-cases.html. . Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau of Counterterrorism Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor In some industries, including agriculture, domestic service, and security, employers did not respect maternity rights or pay minimum wage, overtime, or vacation. The law regulates child labor, sets the minimum age for employment at age 14, and regulates the hours and types of work that minors younger than 18 may perform. The law allows persons charged with some felonies to avail themselves of bail and gives prisoners the right of prompt access to family members. The government investigated and prosecuted many of these crimes, particularly through the national police's Violent Crimes Task Force. 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. 2016 (PDF) 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. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate increased from 1.8 percent in 2019 to 3 percent in 2020 but improved to 2.2 percent as of the fourth quarter of 2021. The Secretariat of Human Rights provided training to security forces to reinforce respect for human rights. A revision to the penal code that entered into force in June 2020 broadly reduces criminal penalties for corruption by officials. The Public Ministry reported two such cases in judicial processing and five other cases under investigation as of September. 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. This island seems perfect, but the crime reports do concern us. Save. LGBTQI+ rights groups asserted that government agencies and private employers engaged in discriminatory hiring practices. As of September the Public Ministry had received nine reports of racial or ethnic discrimination. As of October 17, 42,357 Hondurans were deported in 2021 to Hondurasmore than the total throughout 2020the government reported. Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. The Public Ministry is responsible for prosecuting violations. There were allegations that companies used collective pacts, which are collective contracts with nonunionized workers, to prevent unionization and collective bargaining because only one collective contract may exist in each workplace. Both the STSS and the courts may order a company to reinstate workers, but the STSS lacked the personnel and transportation resources to verify compliance. While no separate safety or crime statistics are kept for Roatan, an abundance of evidence strongly suggests that Roatan is a world apart from its mainland connection to Honduras. OVERALL RISK : MEDIUM Honduras is somewhat safe to visit, though it has many dangers. CONAPREV conducted 138 visits to prisons as of September. The U.S. government estimates that approximately 4% of all cocaine shipments from South America passed through Honduras by air or sea in 2019 of cocaine, equivalent to a U.S. street value of over $11.5 billion at current rates. Victims were primarily impoverished individuals in both rural and urban areas (see section 7.c.). The law does not permit active members of the military or civilian security forces to vote. The legal age of consent is 18. Contraception supplies continued to be limited. Nevertheless, social discrimination against LGBTQI+ persons persisted, as did physical violence. Presuming we use common sense and take taxis is there anything here we should . 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011: DOS International Religious Freedom Report - 2021, 2020, . Impunity and excessive use of force Keyla Martnez died of asphyxia in February in police custody after being arrested for breaking the curfew imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19. Marco Bogran, former director of INVEST-H, the Honduran government entity tasked with providing coronavirus pandemic relief contracts to private firms, remained in pretrial detention awaiting his next court appearance, scheduled for January 31, 2022. Honduras: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report | Freedom House UPDATES: THE INVASION OF UKRAINE Our Issues Perspectives Policy Recommendations Explore the Map Donate Freedom in the World 2021 Honduras Partly Free 44 100 Last Year's Score & Status 45 100 Partly Free Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. Download the 2021 annual crime report below. By law women have equal access to educational opportunities. The government considers rape a crime of public concern, and the state prosecutes rapists even if victims do not press charges. 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 Directorate of Disciplinary Police Affairs investigated abuses by police forces. 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 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. The law provides a maximum sentence of three years in prison for disobeying a restraining order connected with the crime of violence against a woman. Note: After 15 votes over four days, Rep. Kevin . Many prisons lacked sufficient security personnel. The Ministries of Security and of Defense both have human rights offices that coordinate human rights-related activities with the Secretariat of Human Rights. Persons with disabilities, indigenous and Afro-descendant persons, LGBTQI+ persons, and persons with HIV or AIDS also faced discrimination in employment and occupation (see section 6). In addition women experienced delays in accessing justice due to police who failed to process complaints in a timely manner or judicial system officials who deferred scheduling hearings. We have no plans to be walking on a secluded beach at night nor down any dark alleys. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining, b. Transgender persons are prohibited from changing their legal gender status. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1899; however, same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples. 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. The center, administered by the National Prison Institute, was on a military installation and received some support services from the military. 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. There have been widespread protests against a corrupt government and these are sometimes met with force. As of September the STSS had an insufficient number of inspectors to enforce the law effectively. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2018 was 38.93, a 5.01% decline from 2017. The government prosecuted some officials who committed abuses, including government corruption, but a weak judicial system and corruption were major obstacles to obtaining convictions. The accused has the right to an initial hearing before a judge, to ask for bail, consult with legal counsel in a timely manner, have a lawyer provided by the state if necessary, and request an appeal. 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. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. LGBT people in Honduras are frequently the targets of violence and discrimination, according to Human Rights Watch research. As of September inspectors conducted 8,846 total inspections, compared with 4,102 total inspections for the same period in 2020. Some employers either refused to engage in collective bargaining or made it very difficult to do so. Indigenous communities continued to report threats and acts of violence against them and against community and environmental activists. There were credible complaints that police occasionally failed to obtain the required authorization before entering private homes. The government closed two pretrial detention centers in April due to low numbers of these types of pretrial detainees. 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. JUSTRAC+. Honduras declared a state of exception as extortion cases rise, suspending constitutional rights in cities and deploying thousands of troops. The Murray family believes "someone knows something" about what happened to Maura Murray, who went missing in 2004. . The Ministry of Securitys Directorate of Disciplinary Police Affairs investigated members of the Honduran National Police accused of human rights abuses. International observers acknowledged some of these irregularities but reported they were not systematic and not widespread enough to affect the outcome of the presidential election. June 13, 2022. Countering Corruption-Enabled Transnational Crime: A Practice Note for Program Officers and Practitioners. 26 Feb 2021. 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. Anticorruption efforts remained an area of concern, as did the governments ability to protect justice-sector officials, such as prosecutors and judges. The Secretariat of Human Rights served as an effective advocate for human rights within the government. The government of Honduras lacks sufficient resources to properly respond to, investigate and prosecute cases. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Section 1. Wage and Hour Laws: There are 45 categories of monthly minimum wage, based on the industry and the size of a companys workforce; the minimum average was above the poverty line. 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 criminal 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. The law prohibits the use of children younger than 18 for exhibitions or performances of a sexual nature or in the production of pornography. Avoid wandering around local villages after hours. NGOs reported IDPs were at increased risk of victimization and exploitation by criminal groups, which was also often the cause of displacement. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, a. There were different methodologies to measure the size of the informal economy, and a March 2020 UNDP report estimated that 82 percent of workers were part of the informal economy. The law prohibits employers from requiring pregnancy tests as a prerequisite for employment; penalties were not sufficient to deter violations. The law requires individuals and companies that employ more than 20 school-age children at their facilities to provide a location for a school. In 2020, 278 women were murdered in the country and, as of November 2021, more than 240 women have lost their lives violently. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The law does not authorize pretrial detention for crimes with a maximum sentence of five years or less. 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. 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. However, Nicaragua was hit with renewed political trouble in 2018, and it was hit hard. Received a complaint about honduras crime and safety report 2021 at Pioneer Park with murder November 2017 shorter! Download Historical Data. 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. Most child labor occurred in rural areas. They face violence from gangs, the national civil police and the. Overall crime was up 3% from 2021. Censorship or Content Restrictions: Media members and NGOs stated the press self-censored due to fear of retaliation from organized criminal groups or corrupt government officials. The law presumes an accused person is innocent. According to UN reports from 2020, transnational gang activity was a primary contributor to violence-related internal displacement. World Bank statistics from 2020 put net enrollment for primary school above 90 percent, but the National Center for Social Sector Information stated that 43 percent of persons with disabilities received no formal education. The STSS is responsible for enforcing the national minimum wage, hours of work, and occupational health and safety law, but it did so inconsistently and ineffectively. May 24, 2022 Webmaster 1462 Leave a Comment. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process, Section 4. Intentional homicide is defined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its Global Study on Homicide report thus: . Honduras has the highest femicide rate in the Latin American region, with 6.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Government officials were somewhat cooperative and responsive to their views, but some human rights organizations criticized government officials for lack of access and responsiveness. Arbitrary Arrest: CONADEH reported 38 reports of arbitrary arrest through August. EL SALVADOR / 3 . The findings highlight the potential power these four manufacturers have to combat trafficking; if these four manufacturers took action on their own, the national impact could be substantial. The government launched a new Ministry of Transparency in November 2020 to address some of these concerns. Credible observers noted problems in trial procedures, such as a lack of admissible evidence, judicial corruption, witness intimidation, and an ineffective witness protection program. Nevertheless, social discrimination against racial and ethnic groups persisted, as did physical violence. Traveling around the country is a more complicated matter. These are some great destinations, but is Honduras safe? There were numerous reports of government corruption during the year. The STSS completed 29 child labor inspections as of September and identified 13 minors working without permission. However, crime and violence are serious problems throughout Honduras and the country has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Alerts. On June 17, a riot between alleged members of the 18th Street and MS-13 gangs in the maximum-security prison La Tolva in Moroceli, El Paraiso Department, resulted in five dead and 39 injured. On March 3, unknown assailants killed Martin Pandy, president of the Garifuna community of Corozal, and another community member. On March 28, transgender activist Vanessa Zuniga was killed in Tela, Atlantida Department. 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. On July 25, media reported individuals shot and killed Liberal Party congressional candidate and former congresswoman Carolina Echeverria Haylock in Tegucigalpa. mayo 29, 2022 . Journalists, environmental activists, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and people with disabilities are among the groups targeted for violence. As a result, criminals linked to organized crime operate with a high degree of impunity throughout Honduras. Travel to Honduras should be . Authorities did not generally segregate those with tuberculosis or other infectious diseases from the general prison population; as of September the National Prison Institute reported 106 prisoners had been treated for tuberculosis. 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. Government Human Rights Bodies: A semiautonomous commissioner for human rights, Blanca Izaguirre, served as an ombudsperson and investigated complaints of human rights abuses. . As Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, I am proud to introduce Public Safety Canada's 2021-22 Departmental Plan, which highlights plans and priorities for the year ahead as we address the ongoing pandemic and other threats. The overwhelming majority of violent crime victims in Belize are Belizeans themselves, but recent years have seen an increase in these types of crimes against tourists and expats. Both rural and urban areas ( see Section 7.c. ) Select You..., 2013, 2012, 2011: DOS International Religious freedom Report - 2021 2020! 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Learning Abroad Center Staff, Articles H