Honduras has the highest femicide rate in the Latin American region, with 6.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The law prohibits all forms of forced labor, but the government did not effectively implement or enforce the law. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam . Yes, despite all the historical crime and violence, which don't affect tourists, El Salvador is safe to visit in 2023. On April 2, a private security guard for the sugar company La Grecia shot and killed land rights defender Iris Argentina Alvarez Chavez during a confrontation between land rights defenders and private guards. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) "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 . In these sectors employers frequently paid workers for the standard 44-hour workweek no matter how many additional hours they worked. On August 5, an appeals court dismissed charges against 22 defendants indicted in the so-called Pandora case, a 2013 scheme that allegedly funneled 289.4 million lempiras ($12 million) in government agricultural funds to political campaigns. The National Migration Institute secretary general, responsible for final case determinations, had not resumed this function as of October. Women held 21 percent of seats in the National Congress, down from 26 percent prior to the 2017 elections. 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. Civil society continued to raise problems with minimum wage violations, highlighting agricultural companies in the south as frequent violators. Below this are an appeals court, first instance trial courts for criminal and civil cases, and municipal and district-level justices of the peace. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor, c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment, d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation. Journalists, environmental activists, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and people with disabilities are among the groups targeted for violence. Authorities generally respected these rights. Defendants may receive free assistance from an interpreter. Five other cases were under investigation. During 2021, a total of 342 femicides were recorded in Honduras. The constitution provides for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association. In the agricultural sector, companies frequently paid less than minimum wage to most workers, with fewer than 1 percent of agricultural workers receiving the minimum wage. 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. Abusers caught in the act may be detained for up to 24 hours as a preventive measure. CONAPREV reported 27 prisoner deaths due to COVID-19 through August. Josue Alvarado allegedly shot Marvin Alvarado after a heated discussion over Marvin Alvarados failure to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, a. Some local and international civil society organizations, including students, agricultural workers groups, political parties, and indigenous rights groups, alleged that members of the security forces used excessive force to break up demonstrations. 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 and the Department of Labors List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods. The Ministries of Security and Defense both have human rights offices that investigated alleged human rights abuses and coordinated human rights-related activities with the Secretariat of Human Rights. The government relies heavily on the . The appeals court would have to rule on the motion before the trial could move forward. DOUGLAS COUNTY The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has released the results of the Click-It or Ticket Enforcement Campaign which took place between Jan. 30 and Feb. 12. An independent press and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for the press. Most women in the workforce engaged in lower-status and lower-paying informal occupations, such as domestic service, without the benefit of legal protections. An IACHR report noted there were insufficient hospital beds and inadequate supplies at the only hospital that services Gracias a Dios Department, home to the majority of the Miskito community. Administrative penalties were insufficient to deter violations and were rarely enforced. No cases were reported during the year. Some judges, however, ruled that such suspects may be released on the condition that they continue to report periodically to authorities. The Human Rights Board condemned some of these arrests as arbitrary under the guise of curfew enforcement. Home. The law permits workers in public health care, social security, staple food production, and public utilities (municipal sanitation, water, electricity, and telecommunications) to strike as long as they continue to provide basic services. These conditions contributed to an unstable, dangerous environment in the penitentiary system. The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. The government tasks CONAPREV with visiting prisons and making recommendations for protecting the rights of prisoners. 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. A stronger outbreak is expected during the 2021 rainy season (May-November) due to . Prior to the twin shocks of 2020, 25.2 percent of the Honduran population lived in extreme poverty and almost half (4.4 million people) lived in poverty, based on the official poverty lines. In 2020, 278 women were murdered in the country and, as of November 2021, more than. 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 . 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. Internal displacement was generally caused by violence, national and transnational gang activity, and human trafficking. In Honduras, the types of danger include, but are not limited to, violent gang activity, trafficking, rape, street crime and armed robbery. The bloodiest municipalities are located in Francisco Morazan, San Pedro Sula, Choloma, El Progreso, and La Ceiba. CRIME AND INSECURITY IN HONDURAS . Impunity for such crimes was a problem, as was the impunity rate for all types of crime. Underscoring heightened risks facing transgender women involved in sex work, the PBI cited three alleged incidents where security forces degraded transgender women for violating the nationwide COVID-19 curfew, including by striking at least one of the individuals. Safety in El Salvador. The Ministry of Securitys Directorate of Disciplinary Police Affairs (DIDADPOL) investigated members of the Honduran National Police (HNP) accused of human rights abuses. The curfew severely limited freedom of movement and banned large gatherings. Honduras is one of the murder capitals of the world. Since 2020, the number of Hondurans in need of humanitarian assistance has more than doubled, while food insecurity has increased due to consecutive climate shocks, rising food prices and the economic impacts of COVID-19. The emergency decree instituted the Interinstitutional Force as an auditing commission for the penitentiary system. 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. There were no credible reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities. 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. Arbitrary Arrest: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government instituted a national curfew, suspending constitutional provisions and limiting the free movement of individuals. Regulations for implementing the law remained under development as of September. Employers rarely paid the minimum wage in the agricultural sector and paid it inconsistently in other sectors. Persons with HIV and AIDS continued to be targets of discrimination, and they suffered disproportionately from gender-based violence. Nearly two years after passage of a comprehensive labor inspection law in 2017, the STSS released implementing regulations based on extensive consultations with the private sector and unions. According to witnesses, the kidnappers wore police investigative branch uniforms. LGBTI rights groups asserted that government agencies and private employers engaged in discriminatory hiring practices. Honduras' highest judicial body is the Supreme Court of Justice, which includes chambers for constitutional, criminal and civil cases. 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. Some larger cities have police forces that operate independently of the national police and report to municipal authorities. Some employers either refused to engage in collective bargaining or made it very difficult to do so. Prisoners suffered from overcrowding, insufficient access to food and water, violence, and alleged abuse by prison officials. The government allocated a budget of nearly 12.6 million lempiras ($526,000) for the continued operation of a protection mechanism that included provision of protection to journalists. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process, Section 4. Peace Brigades International (PBI) reported more than 34,000 persons were detained for violating the curfew. The Secretariat of Human Rights provided training to security forces to increase respect for human rights. The constitution prohibits practicing clergy from running for office or participating in political campaigns. 4.1.1 The US Congressional Research Service (USCRS) report on Honduras of 20 April 2020 noted that 'The country's current Constitution established a representative democracy with a separation of powers among an executive branch led by the president, a legislative branch consisting of a 128-seat The legal age of consent is 18. The long-term history of gangs in Honduras can be traced all the way back to the fall of the Spanish Empire in the mid 1800s. 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. Forced labor occurred in street vending, domestic service, the transport of drugs and other illicit goods, other criminal activity, and the informal sector. The law establishes an independent and impartial judiciary in civil matters, including access to a court to seek damages for human rights violations. According to the Global Cybercrime Report, the United States reached the prominent third-best position with a Cyber-Safety Score of 8.73. Some companies also delayed appointing or failed to appoint representatives for required STSS-led mediation, a practice that prolonged the mediation process and impeded the right to strike. The Public Ministry is responsible for prosecuting violations. The Office of the Inspector General of the Armed Forces and the Humanitarian Law Directorate investigated abuses by the military. The law prohibits police from unionizing (see section 7.a.). The IACHR reported the government at times used a policy of arbitrary detentions or arrests to inhibit protest. Government Human Rights Bodies: A semiautonomous commissioner for human rights, Roberto Herrera Caceres, served as an ombudsman and investigated complaints of human rights abuses. Defendants may not be compelled to testify or confess guilt. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2018 was 38.93, a 5.01% decline from 2017. In most prisons only inmates who purchased bottled water or had water filters in their cells had access to potable water. Financial Disclosure: Public officials are subject to a financial disclosure law but did not always comply. 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. Through September the secretariat trained 2,764 law enforcement officials in human rights and international humanitarian law. See the Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report at https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/. This force is composed of active members of the army and national police. Because labor inspectors continued to be concentrated in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, full labor inspections and follow-up visits to confirm compliance were far less frequent in other parts of the country. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2017 was 40.98, a 26.23% decline from 2016. Honduras recorded 3,496 murders in 2020. As of September no new trial date had been set. World Bank statistics 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. At the local level, only 7 percent of elected mayors were women, but women represented 76 percent of the elected vice mayors. Japan also is a member of the G-7 Counterterrorism and Counter-Crime Rome-Lyon Group. 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. Birth Registration: Children derive citizenship by birth in the country, from the citizenship of their parents, or by naturalization. The country last held national and local elections in November 2017. 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 . Official data on forced internal displacement was limited in part because gangs controlled many of the neighborhoods that were sources of internal displacement (see section 6, Displaced Children). Public-sector unions expressed concern about some officials refusing to honor bargaining agreements and firing union leaders. This report provides a snapshot of events during 2021 relevant to countries designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism. Following months of negotiation, the government and the OAS did not reach an agreement to maintain the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH), and its mandate expired in January. ANDERSON An Indiana man suspected of setting fire to an Anderson residence in 2020 is charged with attempted murder and first-degree arson, according to court records. A specialized anticorruption sentencing tribunal ordered her release from pretrial detention on July 23. Honduras is somewhat safe to visit, though it has many dangers. Freedom of Expression, Including for the Press, b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association, e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons, Section 3. 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 Honduras's peak of violent crime was in 2012, where the country experienced about 20 homicides per day, typically carried out by gun-toting gangs such as Barrio 18 or Mara Salvatrucha. Police were investigating the killings. Some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) expressed concern about weak implementation of the law and limited resources available to operate the governments protection mechanism. 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. Although the country experiences one of its lowest homicide rates in the last decade, authorities recorded 3,496 violent deaths in 2020. The Public Ministry created a new anticorruption unit, the Special Prosecution Unit against Corruption Networks, which is charged with pursuing MACCIH legacy corruption cases. Credible observers noted problems in trial procedures, such as a lack of admissible evidence, judicial corruption, widespread public distrust of the legal system, witness intimidation, and an ineffective witness protection program. That puts Roatan/Honduras a few points ahead of the U.S. Iceland holds the number one rated position and Afghanistan holds last place, ranked at 163. These reporting centers were in addition to the 298 government-operated womens officesone in each municipalitythat provided a wide array of services to women, focusing on education, personal finance, health, social and political participation, environmental stewardship, and prevention of gender-based violence. Members of the security forces committed some abuses. U.S. citizens have been the victims of a wide range of crimes, including murder, kidnapping, rape, assault, and property crimes. The government cooperated with UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations that provide protection and assistance to refugees and other persons of concern. The law provides that police may make arrests only with a warrant unless: they make the arrest during the commission of a crime, there is strong suspicion that a person has committed a crime and might otherwise evade criminal prosecution, they catch a person in possession of evidence related to a crime, or a prosecutor has ordered the arrest after obtaining a warrant.