honduras crime and safety report 2020 honduras crime and safety report 2020

The law requires that persons with disabilities have access to buildings, but few buildings were accessible, and the national government did not effectively implement laws or programs to provide such access. The shutdown of government offices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused a substantial delay in the processing of asylum cases, with no cases fully adjudicated of 53 new applications received through August. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. El Salvador used to have a high crime rate, but that is not the case anymore. Mental health professionals expressed concern about social stigma by families and communities against persons with mental disabilities and a lack of access to mental health care throughout the country. In the 2013 census, approximately 8.5 percent of the population identified themselves as members of indigenous communities, but other estimates were higher. 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. Inspectors began undergoing virtual training in new technology in March in response to the challenges brought about by the pandemic and national curfew. At the local level, only 7 percent of elected mayors were women, but women represented 76 percent of the elected vice mayors. 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. The regional [] Authorities arrested Bogran on October 5 and released him on October 8 on bail pending trial. Police later arrested the guard accused of killing Alvarez. CRIME AND INSECURITY IN HONDURAS . The government generally respected these provisions. CONAPREV reported 27 prisoner deaths due to COVID-19 through August. Significant human rights issues included: unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; killings of and threats to media members by criminal elements; criminalization of libel, although no cases were reported; serious acts of corruption including by high level officials; lack of investigation of and accountability for violence against women; and threats and violence against indigenous, Afro-descendant communities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons. 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. Defendants may not be compelled to testify or confess guilt. The government considers rape a crime of public concern, and the state prosecutes rapists even if victims do not press charges. 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. In security and domestic service sectors, workers were frequently forced to work more than 60 hours per week but paid only for 44 hours. The combined homicide rate per 100 thousand population remains low, with steep declines in some countries and remaining stable in others. The number of inspections dropped severely from 2019 as a result of the national curfew imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers rarely paid the minimum wage in the agricultural sector and paid it inconsistently in other sectors. Financial Disclosure: Public officials are subject to a financial disclosure law but did not always comply. The government continued to prosecute some officials who committed abuses, but a weak judicial system and corruption were major obstacles to gaining convictions. 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. Fines for child labor were not sufficient to deter violations and not commensurate with penalties for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. 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. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts. DIDADPOL conducted internal investigations of HNP members in a continuation of the police purge begun in 2016. 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. There are 42 categories of monthly minimum wages, based on the industry and the size of a companys workforce; the minimum average was above the poverty line. The director of Invest-H, Marco Antonio Bogran Corrales, resigned from his position in July and was indicted in October on two corruption charges for embezzling an estimated 1.3 million lempiras ($54,000) in public funds and funneling a contract for mobile hospitals to his uncle. Administration: The judicial system was legally responsible for monitoring prison conditions and providing for the rights of prisoners. The law permits strikes by workers in export-processing zones and free zones for companies that provide services to industrial parks, but it requires that strikes not impede the operations of other factories in such parks. The law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights. Public-sector trade unionists raised concerns about government interference in trade union activities, including its suspension or ignoring of collective agreements and its dismissals of union members and leaders. 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 . There were numerous reports of government corruption during the year. Reports of violence related to land conflicts and criminal activity continued. | Learn more about Daniel Jackson's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn Due to pandemic restrictions imposed in March, the STSS was very limited in its ability to conduct inspections. The law mandates that authorities release detainees whose cases have not yet come to trial and whose time in pretrial detention already exceeds the maximum prison sentence for their alleged crime. 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. 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. Birth Registration: Children derive citizenship by birth in the country, from the citizenship of their parents, or by naturalization. The law also imposes prison sentences of three to five years for child labor violations that endanger the life or morality of a child. Credible allegations of corruption in the Secretariat of Labor continued. 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. In these sectors employers frequently paid workers for the standard 44-hour workweek no matter how many additional hours they worked. The quasi-governmental National Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment (CONAPREV) received 210 complaints of the use of torture or cruel and inhuman treatment, many related to the enforcement of the national curfew during the COVID-19 pandemic. Penalties for facilitating child sex trafficking are 10 to 15 years in prison, with substantial fines. There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events. The Public Ministry also has the Special Prosecutors Office for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Social Communicators, and Justice Officials. Some employers either refused to engage in collective bargaining or made it very difficult to do so. Honduras: homicide rate 2014-2021. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. This is the second consecutive year that the murder rate falls below 40 per . Sexual Exploitation of Children: The commercial sexual exploitation of children, especially in sex trafficking, remained a problem. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. 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 government took steps to address corruption at high levels in government agencies, including arresting and charging members of congress, judges, prosecutors, sitting and former senior officials, mayors and other local authorities, and police officers. Persons from indigenous and Afro-descendant communities continued to experience discrimination in employment, education, housing, and health services. A small number of powerful business magnates with intersecting commercial, political, and family ties owned most of the major news media. The HNPs Violent Crimes Task Force investigated crimes against high-profile and particularly vulnerable victims, including journalists as well as judges, human rights activists, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community. Local police and emergency services lack sufficient resources to respond effectively to serious crime. The vast majority of children who worked did so without STSS permits. The Public Ministry reported 15 cases of alleged illegal detention or arbitrary arrest as of November. The government limited freedom of peaceful assembly under the national curfew imposed in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. There were no reports of this law being used to limit womens employment. 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. The reported killings took place during law enforcement operations or were linked to other criminal activity by government agents. Penalties for violations of OSH law were commensurate with penalties for similar crimes. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. About. Many employers discriminated against women. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Add data for Roatan Consider looking into aggregate data we have for Crime in Honduras Crime 0 120 51.16 Crime rates in Roatan, Honduras Safety in Roatan, Honduras Contributors: 7 Last update: October 2022 These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years. Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. The Public Ministry reported five such cases undergoing trial, with four cases in the sentencing phase of trial. The Public Ministrys Office of the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights handled cases involving charges of human rights abuses by government officials. Most child labor occurred in rural areas. The Secretariat of Human Rights served as an effective advocate for human rights within the government. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reported that authorities at times failed to enforce these requirements effectively. The Refugee Commission suspended operations shortly after the onset of the pandemic but began reviewing applications again as of June. Farmers markets and local food networks aren't new to Minnesota. The STSS approved 43 such authorizations through September. COFADEH reported an increase of complaints regarding the use of excessive and disproportionate force by security forces under the national curfew. David Pecker tried to blackmail Bezos in February 2019 with dick pics and so on stolen from his hacked phone and Bezos called him out. A: Fans well remember the 1965-69 adventure series starring Robert Conrad Josue Alvarado was assigned to Task Force Maya Chorti. In 2020, 278 women were murdered in the country and, as of November 2021, more than. Both the ministry and the commission focused on developing policies to address IDPs. . Honduras With a crime index of 74.54, Honduras ranks fifth in the world in terms of crime rate. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam . Women and girls may face criminal penalties after having miscarriages or abortions, and NGOs reported some women delayed or avoided seeking necessary medical care for fear of being arrested. The STSS may levy a fine against companies that fail to pay social security obligations, but the amount was not sufficient to deter violations. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. The law allows only local unions to call strikes, prohibits labor federations and confederations from calling strikes, and requires that a two-thirds majority of both union and nonunion employees at an enterprise approve a strike. The law allows persons charged with some felonies to avail themselves of bail and gives prisoners the right of prompt access to family members. Five other cases were under investigation. Corruption: On March 13, the Supreme Court of Justice ordered a new trial for former first lady Rosa Elena Bonilla de Lobo, spouse of former president Porfirio Lobo, who was convicted in August 2019 of fraud and misappropriation of public funds and sentenced to 58 years in prison. Honduras has the highest femicide rate in the Latin American region, with 6.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. It stipulates that a prosecutor has 24 additional hours to decide if there is probable cause for indictment, whereupon a judge has 24 more hours to decide whether to issue a temporary detention order. The appeals court ruled the cases of former agriculture minister Jacobo Regalado and three members of his staff should proceed to trial. 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. Litigants may sue a criminal defendant for damages if authorized by a criminal court. Some of the worst forms of child labor occurred, including commercial sexual exploitation of children, and NGOs reported that gangs often forced children to commit crimes, including homicide (see section 6, Children). The law prohibits all of the worst forms of child labor. Libel/Slander Laws: Citizens, including public officials, may initiate criminal proceedings for libel and slander. In-country Movement: Under the national curfew from March 16, the government limited freedom of movement by allowing individuals to move outside their homes one day every two weeks. Statistics from the National Emergency Systems call center showed the country was on pace for more than 100,000 reports of domestic violence during the year. 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. Honduras was the fourth source country in the world of new asylum applications from January to June 2021 with 33,900 applications (30,100 in the same period in 2020), according to UNHCR s Mid . Abuse of Migrants, Refugees, and Stateless Persons: Transiting migrants and asylum seekers with pending cases were vulnerable to abuse by criminal organizations. Specialties: Executive management, negotiations, project approval and feasibility, business development, strategy, project management, quality, audit and risk management, business resilience, corporate governance. The law allows the release of other suspects pending formal charges, on the condition that they periodically report to authorities, although management of this reporting mechanism was often weak. 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. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported 1,695 cases of COVID-19 in 25 prisons as of September, including cases among medical personnel, security personnel, and administrators. 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. 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. Homicide Rates in the Northern. Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit the participation of women or members of minority groups in the political process, and they did participate. The law mandates that the Supreme Auditing Tribunal monitor and verify disclosures. 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. 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. 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 In January 2020, the president announced the dismantling of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (Misin de Apoyo Contra la Corrupcin y la Impunidad en Honduras, MACCIH), which was backed by the Organization of American States (OAS). Corruption, poor governance, and. Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes all forms of rape of women or men, including spousal rape. The Violence Observatory reported 55 killings of women from March 15 to June 6, compared with 102 for the same period in 2019. Honduras 2020 Crime & Security Report this is an annual report produced in collaboration with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy. Journalists, environmental activists, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and people with disabilities are among the groups targeted for violence. There were credible complaints that police occasionally failed to obtain the required authorization before entering private homes. Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights, Section 6. 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. 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. According to witnesses, the kidnappers wore police investigative branch uniforms. The Association for a Better Life and the Cattrachas Lesbian Network both reported 16 violent deaths of LGBTI persons as of September. The Federation of Agroindustry Workers Unions reported massive layoffs and cancelation of contracts in the maquila sector during the pandemic without providing welfare benefits. Japan also is a member of the G-7 Counterterrorism and Counter-Crime Rome-Lyon Group. The law prohibits discrimination based on gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, political opinion or affiliation, marital status, race or national origin, language, nationality, religion, family affiliation, family or economic situation, disability, health, physical appearance, or any other characteristic that would offend the victims human dignity. Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, a. The National Prison Institute (INP) reported 12 violent deaths. 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. 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. The law provides for freedom of association, and the government generally respected this right. There was no information available on any major industrial accidents. Internal displacement was generally caused by violence, national and transnational gang activity, and human trafficking. As of September no new trial date had been set. Women - Honduras has the fifth-highest rate of violence against women in the world. Long periods of pretrial detention remained common and problematic, with many other pretrial detainees held in the general population with convicted prisoners. 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. During 2021, a total of 342 femicides were recorded in Honduras. The penalties for rape range from three to nine years imprisonment, and the courts enforced these penalties. The emergency decree instituted the Interinstitutional Force as an auditing commission for the penitentiary system. Victims were primarily impoverished individuals in both rural and urban areas (see section 7.c.). A specialized anticorruption sentencing tribunal ordered her release from pretrial detention on July 23. International observers generally agreed the elections were free but disputed the fairness and transparency of the results. 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.