They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. Avoid using Collectivos (white sedan taxis with a sticker on the windshield denoting its established route), Roleteros (private white sedan taxis with no established routes), and Rapiditos (small buses that pick up multiple riders). In 2019, there were 1,500 traffic fatalities throughout the country. 2018 toyota rav4 pros and cons. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. 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Crimes against U.S. citizens in the past year have ranged from petty theft to violent offenses, including armed robbery, home invasion, sexual assault, and several instances of murder and attempted murder. During the presentation of these findings, Alice Shackelford called for "changing the narrative and expressing our intolerance towards this type of violence". Institutionalize training for anti-trafficking police and prosecutorial units, judges, and CICESCTs immediate response team. Weapons abound in Honduras, and armed street robberies are especially common, with criminals taking advantage of relatively isolated victims to steal their valuables. According to a report published in June 2020 by the Network Against Anti-Union Violence, 36 trade unionists were murdered between 2009 and 2019. Copyright 2023 United Nations Sustainable Development Group. Counterfeit U.S. currency is also common. Government agencies, including CICESCT, its local committees, the Public Ministry, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Supreme Court of Justice, and the Secretariat of Education, provided anti-trafficking trainings to police, lawyers, judges, other government officials, tourism professionals, civil society organizations, teachers, and members of the public throughout the country; due to the pandemic, the government conducted the majority of trainings virtually, which allowed them to reach more stakeholders and decrease costs. Last update: October 2022. As of August 2020, more than 21,000. Among the 45 Cuban medical professionals the government contracted to assist during the pandemic, some may have been forced to work by the Cuban government. Limited inspections could facilitate movements of terrorists. Even when traffic signals are working, drivers often ignore them. Counterfeit Honduran lempiras (currency) are common, especially in the 100 and 500 denominations. Widespread poverty and unemployment, along with significant street gang and drug trafficking activity, have contributed to the extremely high crime rate. Honduras removed the offense of sex tourism from its amended penal code, and the government did not investigate or prosecute any suspected trafficking cases in the tourism sector. "My respect to the brave women survivors of domestic violence! OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Honduras. Major cities connect via an inconsistently maintained, two-lane system of paved roads, with many unpaved secondary roads. First Lady Ana Garcia de Hernandezs Migration Task Force continued to coordinate a whole-of-government approach to informing Hondurans about the dangers of irregular migration, including trafficking risks, and the government continued public awareness campaigns warning of trafficking risks along migratory routes through Guatemala and Mexico. The government initially allocated 8.93 million lempiras ($357,150) to CICESCT but later decreased its actual disbursement to 6.18 million lempiras ($247,020) due to pandemic-related funds redistribution and budget cuts. The government conducted law enforcement operations targeting irregular migration and increased border enforcement, leading to 160 arrests for smuggling crimes that increased migrants vulnerability to trafficking. As a result, there is no longer free travel between Honduras and Nicaragua. During the pandemic, violence cases against women increased significantly; the number of emergency calls rose to 282 per day. These tensions have resulted in intense protests and violence. The CA-4 agreement among El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras allows for the inspection-free movement of citizens among these countries, reducing overall inspection at land crossings. However, kidnapping figures are likely lower than reality, as families of kidnapping victims often pay ransoms without reporting these crimes to police out of fear of retribution. Extortion threats commonly originate through social engineering. However, there can be communal tension over land ownership, natural resource allocation, and exploitation. In June, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found that Honduras had violated the rights to life and personal integrity of Vicky Hernndez, a transgender woman, sex worker and activist killed during the 2009 coup. Figures likely to be an underestimate, says Global Witness, as land defenders are killed by hitmen, crime groups and governments Published: 28 Sep 2022 More than 1,700 environmental activists . Port agencies have worked to improve taxi service to/from ports. A woman is likely to be killed every 36 hours in this country. The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this reports publication assesses Honduras at Level 3, indicating travelers should reconsider travel due to crime. Safety in El Salvador. Additionally, illegal drugs are for sale in many of the popular tourist areas during the evening hours. Traffickers exploit Honduran adults and children in forced labor in street vending, forced begging, domestic service, drug trafficking, and the informal sector in their own country, as well as forced labor in other countries, particularly Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Traffic signs, even on major highways, are often inadequate; streets are often unmarked even in major cities. Most often, pickpocketing and theft of bags and wallets occur here. Review OSACs reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? If you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need visa based on your nationality and the country you want to visit. Since 2010, there have been approximately 60 murders of U.S. citizens reported in Honduras. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. Mediaactivism must be part of the change of paradigm; data plays a key role in understanding the impact on the Honduran population of how media report on violence against women. Detained U.S. citizens should insist on speaking to U.S. Embassy representatives as soon as possible. LGBTI+ travelers should exercise caution, especially when expressing affection in public. The public transportation sector is a regular target of extortion, and experiences higher levels of homicide than many other sectors. Local, Regional, and International Terrorism Threats/Concerns. The state of emergency, in place since Dec. 6 in 165 areas of Honduras' largest two cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, has been expanded to 235 of the country's 298 municipalities, the . Consider looking into aggregate data we have for Crime in Honduras. If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime, contact the local police and U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa. "Honduras: Death of Keyla Martnez demands prompt, exhaustive and impartial investigation", 9 February Labor inspectors did not identify any suspected trafficking cases in 2020. "The issue of gender-based violence is a central human rights issue. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law and be subject to local penalties. Anyone with information is strongly encouraged to report the matter. See the description of highways/areas to be avoided in the Traffic Safety and Road Conditions section below for details. The Honduran National Police wear blue uniforms, while the PMOP normally wear green camouflage. My appreciation and congratulations to Ana Cruz and the fantastic work of safe houses! Red Cross ambulance: 911, (504) 2227-7474 or (504) 2227-7575. Through this initiative I can be a spokesperson for women who experience this type of violence and I can use my platforms to inform and raise awareness about the issue in a male-dominatedsociety where we normalize this type of situation, said Massay Crisantho, who is and activist and advocate for the human rights and the culture of the Garifunaethnic community. Caption: On 25th November, women and men rallied together to raise awareness of the increasing femicide rates and growing violence against women and girls at a UN-supported event. This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa. Civil unrest in Tegucigalpa and other parts of Honduras remains a constant challenge. Story written by Maria ElenaClix, Communications and Advocacy Officer at the Office of the Resident Coordinator in Honduras. The San Pedro Sula area has seen armed robberies against tourist vans, minibuses, and cars traveling from the airport to area hotels. Honduras lacks the infrastructure to maintain water purity and food safety. Honduras, long one of the poorest countries in Latin America, is now also among the most violent and crime-ridden. Uniforms and vehicles are all clearly marked. There have been frequent incidents of carjacking and highway robbery on a number of roads including the main highway (CA-5) between San Pedro Sula and Siguatepeque, with the greatest risk between Potrerillos and Pito Solo in the lake area. According to the Honduran Commission for Human Rights (Conadeh), 75 people died in attacks against the public transport service in Honduras between January and July 2019. These penalties were sufficiently stringent. Responding police fired tear gas in and around the main terminal to regain control after protesters entered the building and airport grounds. El Salvador used to have a high crime rate, but that is not the case anymore. Learn about employment opportunities across the UNSDG. Visitors can send general inquiries to the communications team. These efforts included identifying more victims of labor trafficking, including children forced to commit unlawful acts, and increasing funding for the Inter-institutional Commission to Combat Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking in Persons (CICESCT). The police, along with the Ministry of Defenses Military Public Order Police (PMOP), routinely establish checkpoints and review documentation (e.g. In March 2019, the Honduran Government created the National Urban Transportation Security Force to combat extortion and other crimes perpetrated by gangs. Credit card skimming is common. 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. 2022 estimated. According to the Honduran National Police, there were 12 kidnappings reported nationwide during 2019. As a result of Honduran government efforts in close cooperation with the United States, homicide rates have fallen from 86.0 per 100,000 residents in 2012 to 43.6 per 100,000 at the end of 2019. Those traveling with tour/missionary groups report fewer criminal incidents. Mass protests and the government's heavy-handed response have damaged the economy and sparked deadly . Caption: UN Resident Coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford meets with survivors at a local safe house. Honduras is one of the murder capitals of the world. According to the Peruvian National Police ( PNP ), crime increased 15% in 2021. Garza is wanted in Honduras for homicide. UN teams are now better enabled to support countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Historically, governments have. The main problems are related to corruption, robbery, and vandalism. Indigenous and ethnic minority communities are frequently located in rural areas, which enjoy lower levels of criminal activity. Find contact information for available medical services and available air ambulance services on the U.S. Embassy/Consulate website. UNODC works on the development of standards for national crime and criminal justice information systems and for the conduct of victimization surveys. 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Travelers should be aware, however, that the assistance the Embassy can provide is limited to making sure U.S. citizens are not treated differently from local detainees and providing them with a list of local attorneys. Most cruise line passengers experience no problems, but there have been reports of associated armed robbery and carjacking. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Honduras, and traffickers exploit victims from Honduras abroad. Criminals expanded the use of social network platforms to recruit victims, often with false promises of employment, and continued to target vulnerable populations. Organized criminal groups, including local and transnational gangs and narcotics traffickers, were significant perpetrators of violent crimes and committed acts of homicide, torture, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, intimidation, and other threats and violence directed against human rights defenders, judicial authorities, lawyers, Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba) have homicide rates higher than the national average, as do several Honduran departments (a geographic designation like U.S. States), including Atlntida, Coln, Corts, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, and Yoro. Authorities convicted two government officials, one on pimping charges and one for paid sexual relations, for their involvement in sex trafficking crimes in 2017. It is urgent to pass the law on safe houses where women who manage to get away from violent situations are taken care of. Title insurance is not widely available in Honduras and approximately 80% of the privately held land in the country is either untitled or improperly titled. The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance for Honduras. The government is implementing similar programs for other locations (e.g. In November 2019, Tegucigalpa authorities began developing a luxury housing project in the La Tigra bioreserve, just outside of the city. Caption: Honduras has the highest femicide rates in Latin America. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us.