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 . The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. 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. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government, Section 5. As of November the STSS had an insufficient number of inspectors to enforce the law effectively. 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 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. 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. Honduras registered over 120,000 cases of COVID-19 and 3,100 deaths by the end of 2020, according to University of Oxford researchers. During 2021, a total of 342 femicides were recorded in Honduras. Honduras 2020 Crime & Security Report this is an annual report produced in collaboration with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reported that authorities at times failed to enforce these requirements effectively. 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. With high rates of impunity, including 90 percent for killings of women in the last 15 years according to the Violence Observatory, civil society groups reported that women often did not report domestic violence, or withdrew the charges, because they feared or were economically dependent on the aggressor. This helps keep everyone in poverty. Around 191,000 people were. Several anonymous social media sites, possibly linked to political parties, criticized journalists (as well as activists and civil society organizations) who were critical of the government or opposition party policies. 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. Get full access to the Ojai Valley news and sports coverage, as well as arts and entertainment, opinions and more. Under the Regional Integral Framework for Protection and Solutions, with significant support from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the government continued to build capacity to provide services to key population groups, including IDPs, those at risk of forced displacement, refugees, and returned migrants, through 14 commitments and 28 specific actions between 2018 and 2020. 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. 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. They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. The law provides a maximum sentence of three years in prison for disobeying a restraining order connected with the crime of intrafamilial violence. The Autonomous University of Honduras Violence Observatory reported 13 arbitrary or unlawful killings by security forces during the year. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining, b. The STSS completed 13 inspections as of March and did not find any minors working without permission. Reproductive Rights: Generally, individuals have the right to decide freely the number, spacing, and timing of having children and to have access to the information and means to do so, free from discrimination, coercion, or violence. 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. While there were cases where a worker was reinstated, such as the reinstatement of a union leader in Tegucigalpa following his unlawful dismissal, the reinstatement process in the courts was unduly long, lasting from six months to more than five years. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For years, street gangs have charged protection . Five other cases were under investigation. As of September 2020, the US had yet to begin deporting any third country nationals to Honduras under the agreement. There was only limited support for persons with mental illnesses or disabilities. 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. 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. Nongovernmental Impact: Some journalists and other members of civil society reported threats from members of organized-crime groups. You have questions. In response to the pervasive violence in the prison system, the government declared an emergency in the National Penitentiary System in December 2019. Honduras: homicide rate 2014-2021. Yes, despite all the historical crime and violence, which don't affect tourists, El Salvador is safe to visit in 2023. The law also imposes prison sentences of three to five years for child labor violations that endanger the life or morality of a child. Women held 21 percent of seats in the National Congress, down from 26 percent prior to the 2017 elections. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2019 was 42.01, a 7.91% increase from 2018. Five other cases were under investigation. The PA has administrative control over Area B (about 22 percent of the West Bank), but security control is . Child Abuse: Child abuse remained a serious problem. On July 10, unidentified assailants shot and killed transgender activist Scarleth Campbell in Tegucigalpa. Under the national emergency and corresponding curfew, the government suspended the constitutional right to peaceful assembly. The law prohibits members of the armed forces and police, as well as certain other public employees, from forming labor unions. The National Prison Institute (INP) reported 12 violent deaths. Now that we've established a frame of reference, here's the scoop on Roatan. 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 . This force is composed of active members of the army and national police. The appeals court ruled the cases of former agriculture minister Jacobo Regalado and three members of his staff should proceed to trial. Penalties for facilitating child sex trafficking are 10 to 15 years in prison, with substantial fines. Transgender women were particularly vulnerable to employment and education discrimination; many could find employment only as sex workers, increasing their vulnerability to violence and extortion. Honduras is a constitutional, multiparty republic. There were no reports of this law being used to limit womens employment. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and has one of the world's highest murder rates. The tribunal published its reports on its website and cited the names of public officials who did not comply with the disclosure law. The rate of young people killing other young people is down to two main gangs : Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18. On January 10, unknown assailants shot and killed Tolupan indigenous leader Vicente Saavedra in Morazan, Yoro Department. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam . Penalties include prison sentences of up to five years and monetary fines. About. 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. In many industries, including agriculture, cleaning, and security, employers did not respect maternity rights or pay minimum wage, overtime, or vacation. Section 2. 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 . In all of 2019, the STSS levied fines of more than 38.1 million lempiras ($1.58 million) but collected only 755,000 lempiras ($31,300). The law states that sexual orientation and gender-identity characteristics merit special protection from discrimination and includes these characteristics in a hate crimes amendment to the penal code. Castillo was returning from the market at 3:30 p.m. when a police officer arrested her for violating the curfew, even though the curfew did not start until 7:00 p.m. Castillo said the arrest was a reprisal for an encounter a few days previously, when Castillo confronted the officer who was attempting to expel a vendor from a park. The Public Ministry created a new anticorruption unit, the Special Prosecution Unit against Corruption Networks, which is charged with pursuing MACCIH legacy corruption cases. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor, c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment, d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation. CRIME AND INSECURITY IN GUATEMALA JULY 2020 | 8 CRIME AND INSECURITY IN GUATEMALA Evaluating State Capacity to Reduce Violence and Combat Organized Crime THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE AND ORGANIZED CRIME IN GUATEMALA In Guatemala, organized crime has been a problem for decades. 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. The Secretariat of Human Rights noted an exponential increase in gender-based violence and domestic violence during the national curfew. Abusers caught in the act may be detained for up to 24 hours as a preventive measure. These deaths included several in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba involving U.S. citizens murdered shortly after arriving in the country. Honduras is one of the murder capitals of the world. No cases were reported during the year. Improvements: Through August, CONAPREV trained 494 technical, administrative, and security personnel on topics including prison management and human rights. These INP-administered centers were on military installations and received some support services from the military. A small number of powerful business magnates with intersecting commercial, political, and family ties owned most of the major news media. The combined homicide rate per 100 thousand population remains low, with steep declines in some countries and remaining stable in others. Civil society organizations criticized the governments failure to investigate threats adequately. Some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) expressed concern about weak implementation of the law and limited resources available to operate the governments protection mechanism. There is no statutory rape law, but the penalty for rape of a minor younger than 12 is 15 to 20 years in prison, or nine to 13 years in prison if the victim is 13 or older. The whereabouts of four Indigenous Garifuna members of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) forcibly disappeared in July 2020 remained unknown. 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. Japan also is a member of the G-7 Counterterrorism and Counter-Crime Rome-Lyon Group. The Military Police of Public Order report to military authorities but conduct operations sanctioned by civilian security officials as well as by military leaders. 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 Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. The Secretariat of Human Rights served as an effective advocate for human rights within the government. The law does not cover domestic workers. Administrative penalties were insufficient to deter violations and were rarely enforced. Authorities launched an investigation and made one arrest in connection with the kidnappings in July and five more arrests in September. Children, including from indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, particularly Miskito boys, were at risk for forced labor in the fishing, mining, construction, and hospitality industries. Voters elected Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party as president for a four-year term beginning in January 2018. International observers generally recognized the elections as free but disputed the fairness and transparency of the results. 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. 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. Some larger cities have police forces that operate independently of the national police and report to municipal authorities. El Salvador is not dangerous for travelers as violence has declined to its lowest level in over 30 years. The law provides for freedom of expression, including for the press, with some restrictions, and the government generally respected this right. The government did not effectively enforce the law. There were several reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. The National Human Rights Commission of Honduras received complaints about human rights abuses and referred them to the Public Ministry for investigation. In cooperation with the UN Development Program, the government operated consolidated reporting centers in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula where women could report crimes, seek medical and psychological attention, and receive other services. Honduras is somewhat safe to visit, though it has many dangers. Honduras remains one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the Western Hemisphere. The law was not effectively enforced, and weak public institutional structures contributed to the inadequate enforcement. But the movement gained momentum during the pandemic and a partnership of more than 40 organizations hopes to capitalize During April, the first full month of the curfew, COFADEH reported 11,471 complaints of arbitrary actions by security forces, mainly abusive detentions for curfew violators. Birth Registration: Children derive citizenship by birth in the country, from the citizenship of their parents, or by naturalization. The Office of the Inspector General of the Armed Forces and the Humanitarian Law Directorate investigated abuses by the military. 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. 10. See the Department of States International Religious Freedom Report at https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/. The government considers rape a crime of public concern, and the state prosecutes rapists even if victims do not press charges. Subscribe to the Ojai Valley News. Authorities generally respected these rights. Many prisons lacked sufficient security personnel. Although the Interinstitutional Security Force reports to the National Security and Defense Council, it plays a coordinating role and did not exercise broad command and control functions over other security forces except during interagency operations involving those forces. There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events. Sexual Harassment: The law criminalizes various forms of sexual harassment. 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. By August it had provided protection to two journalists, among other types of activists and human rights defenders. There were no credible reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities. CHICAGO (AP) Four years ago, Paul Vallas finished toward the bottom of the pack in a crowded race for Chicago mayor. 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. A federal grand jury on Friday indicted the man accused of shooting two Jewish men in February with hate crime and firearm offenses, the US Attorney's Office for the Central The regional [] Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. Specialties: Executive management, negotiations, project approval and feasibility, business development, strategy, project management, quality, audit and risk management, business resilience, corporate governance. Access to Asylum: The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status. In most prisons only inmates who purchased bottled water or had water filters in their cells had access to potable water. The government relies heavily on the . COFADEH reported police beat and smeared a tear gas-covered cloth on the face of an individual detained for violating the national curfew in April in El Paraiso. 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Honduras, An official website of the United States Government, https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/for-providers/legal-reports-and-data/reported-cases.html, https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods.