Expat retirees, yachties, families with kids, and cruise ship tourists make up a large majority of the demographic found on Roatan at any given time. There are taxi ranks in a lot of locations. Extortion and Sexual Violence: Womens Unspoken Suffering, Loan Sharking Grows in Costa Rica by Piggybacking on Drug Trafficking, Extortion of Guatemalas Red Buses: Where Gang and Elite Criminal Interests Meet, The Lucky Kingpin: How Chepe Diablo Has (So Far) Ridiculed Justice, Guatemala's Mafia State and the Case of Mauricio Lpez Bonilla, University Deans and Guatemalas Convoluted Road to a New Attorney General, GameChangers 2022: Drug Bonanza Amid Prohibition Challenges in 2023, Honduras' State of Exception May Set Worrying Precedent, Why Money Launderers in Honduras May Be Getting Away With It, Military Arsenals Provide Convenient Source of Weapons for Latin American Gangs, Extortion in Northern Triangle Worth Over $1 Billion Annually: Report, Latin American Leaders Voice Security Concerns At United Nations General Assembly. Is Honduras safe for solo female travelers? Honduras may have one of the highest murder rates in the world, and as a solo female traveler, that doesnt sound very inviting as a destination. These are the safest islands: Once you get off the ferry in Utila you have officially entered an alternate reality. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. That means getting used to gangs, violence, and corruption. Its better for the environment and ends up being more economical in the long run. This is apretty safe area to visit. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. The information present in this safety guide was accurate at the time of writing, however, the world is a changeable place, now more than ever. Of course, you can book a local tour that can look after your safety during your trip, but make sure your research leaves you feeling absolutely confident in the reliability of the tour you choose. According to a State Department report last year, there are up to 10,000 gang members in Honduras, a country with roughly 8 million people. But before arriving, the car stopped and the caravan split. Whilst many people DO live here, it doesnt mean Honduras is safe to live. Read the entire Travel Advisory. They forcibly recruit children and sexually abuse women, girls, and LGBT people. It wont be down to the wire cutting edge info on the most current events, but it is layered in the expertise of veteran travellers. All of these are in Santa Barbara Department, which also sees hijackings aroundTela, La Ceiba, andEl Progresoas well asTrujillo. Escaped inmates from Scott County captured in Newton Dont expect to discover an undeveloped private island. Gender-based violence in Honduras is also among the highest in the region and has increased during the pandemic. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. You can catch a ferry from the mainland atLa Ceibato eitherUtilaorRoatan. Honduran people are friendly and welcoming. Hondurans are warm and welcoming people whohave to live day in, day out with the violence in their country. So when it comes to safetyin Honduras, we think youllgenerallybe fine, especially in the Bay Islands. Theres alsoLa Ceiba. Honduras International Travel Information This is when things can get sketchy. La Ceibaon the northern coast, with mountains, jungles, and beaches, is a chilled and adventurous area to explore. So keep that in mind and have a read of our safety tips for solo female travelers thinking of taking a trip to Honduras. And watch out for bad road conditions after heavy rain. Homicides in Honduras | Association for a More Just Society As VP Kamala Harris prepares to visit #Honduras for the presidential inauguration, we call for international cooperation and funding to respond to the humanitarian crisis displacing thousands in the country. There are many daily newspapers in Honduras where that constantly provide the latest updated news and information. It is important to know that Utila is very much a developed backpacker hotspot. Theres a huge problem with single-use plastics in the Earths water and you dont have any assurance whatsoever that your bottles will be properly disposed of, even if youre careful to sort them in the proper bin. Well Public transportation can be alittle trickyin Honduras, and its not always safe. He estimated the companies and drivers have paid an average of about $10 million per month to the gangs in order to operate. That means suncream, sun-hats, and limiting time in the sun. If you see any outdated information in this guide, we would really appreciate it if you could reach out in the comments below. generally, if youre visiting with a guided tour, you should be fine. Most who can access the internet do so on their phones. Journalists, environmental activists, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). As of August, prisons had reported 1,700 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths. Violence has long ruled here. Almost 110,000 Hondurans were returned in 2019, mostly from Mexico. Do your own research. Of course, being a woman anywhere is going to come with additional risk. San Pedro Sula is the most dangerous city, not just in Honduras, but in the whole world. Sat Navs might not always tell you the best route. Couple that with 470 miles of (mainly) Caribbean coastline, a load of beaches and tropical islands, as well asMayan ruinsand you got yourself adream destination. Honduras has the misfortune of being situated between South American cocaine production and U.S. drug consumption. Violence: Honduras reached a . And this area is great for children. Thepublic busesconsist ofthe good oldchicken bus. The measure must still be approved by Congress. Politicians are manipulated by criminals or other politicians. Almendares had repeatedly received death threats since 2017 in relation to his reporting. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2019 was 42.01, a 7.91% increase from 2018. Instead, buy an eSIM! Honduras major drug trafficking groups like the Cachiros and the Valles have largely been dismantled with the arrest and extradition of top leaders, but vestiges of these clans continue to operate. Although there is a law that provides higher penalties for bias-based crimes, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, the Attorney Generals office told Human Rights Watch in September 2020 that no one has been convicted under the law. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. You dont know how clean the persons hands are whos been peeling and chopping the, Dont go TOO in on the food when you first arrive, especially if you get ill from food quite easily. Corruption, fear of retribution, and limited access to essential health services . Here, you will find safety knowledge and advice for travelling Honduras. Youll need to be a confident traveler. Migrant posing as minor who killed father of four that took him in gets 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. World Report 2021: Honduras | Human Rights Watch We are on the frontlines providing critical aid to crisis-affected people in more than 40 countries, including places on the 2022 Emergency Watchlist. His unit was headed to the Hole a labyrinthine neighbourhood of narrow streets, whose nickname was originally coined because of its location between sharp hillsides, but which has taken on a new meaning as a place where gang members disappear. 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. People do it. Taxis areall over the placein Honduras. Honduras News - Daily News About Honduras Pastor Daniel Pacheco told Los Angeles Times reporter Kate Linthicum, "I can ask them to leave the gang, but I don't have anything else to offer them. Traveling here is definitely adventurous, but that doesnt mean its off-limits for solo travelers. After a 2019 wave of gang violence that killed 37 detainees, President Hernndez declared a state of emergency and put prisons under military control. Latest News Profile Criminal Actors Investigations News Latest News Xiomara should hurry up and go after all those gang members, said Isidora Varela, 70, at her market stand in downtown Tegucigalpa. Jesse Watters: Buying mace in Manhattan is almost as hard as getting a gun. February 18 2022 Receive free Honduras updates We'll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Honduras news every morning. For years, street gangs have charged protection money from bus and taxi drivers and store owners in Honduras, as in neighboring El Salvador. A quarter of women and girls become pregnant before turning 18the second-highest rate in Latin America. Since 2017, the government has operated centers to support returned migrants. The police chief in Honduras reported 356 fewer homicides between Dec. 6, 2022 and Feb 20, 2023, compared to the period Dec. 6, 2021 to Feb. 20, 2022. I agree with Bukele and I want the same here. In Honduras, steps were taken to demilitarize public security forces and a community policing model was announced, with the hope being that the measures would increase public trust in an institution that has historically been dogged by corruption and infiltrated by the very same organized crime groups it is supposed to combat. The coastline of Cedeno, a fishing village in southern Honduras, looks like it was hit by an earthquake - houses, businesses and clubs stand in ruins. It suspends some Constitutional rights and gives police more powers to arrest and hold suspects. Reaching primary sources and getting the real story involve extensive fieldwork. Theyve been doing it since 2002 protecting, connecting, and inspiring independent travellers just like you. LGBTpeople in Honduras are frequently the targets of violence and discrimination, according to Human Rights Watch research. Violent crime is at its peak in Honduras. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. Dont drink the water without treating, and steer clear of ice cubes,too. Violent gang activity, such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and narcotics and human trafficking, is widespread. These drug trafficking gangs rule peoples lives. But if youre thinking about it, here are some tips. With just 39% of the population fully vaccinated as of December 2021, the health risks associated with the pandemic will remain a concern long into 2022. We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. The flavors, spices and. Sometimes the drivers are assaulted. As dusk fell, a helicopter hovered menacingly over a dusty football field where several hundred police officers stood in formation, waiting for the clock to strike six and the imposition of a state of exception partially suspending constitutional guarantees in Honduras. Honduras - United States Department of State Corruption, no supervision, and poor legislation have led to Latin American military weapons ending up in criminal hands. Schools were closed from March onward due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Honduras isnt different from lots of other great backpacking countries in that youre never absolutely safe from food-borne illness. Locals drive atcrazy speeds on the highways, there are random toll roads that make the cost high (but if you dont take them, alternative routes are often not paved), and there are animals on the road. Your little ones get to see the Mesoamerican Reef,thesecond largest barrier reef in the world. See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution and Travel Advisories. CNN Juan Orlando Hernndez, the former president of Honduras, appeared virtually for his initial US court appearance Friday on federal drug trafficking and firearms possession charges.. Inside Honduras' most dangerous gangs 127,396 views Mar 8, 2020 1.2K Dislike Share Save Sky News 5.19M subscribers Warning: this report contains blurred images of dead bodies which some viewers. That said, the development that has taken place has not totally sucked the island dry of its charm. Dangers of Travel to Honduras | USA Today The rate of young people killing other young people is down to two main gangs : Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18. Independent travel is going to require A LOT of being careful. This year a crew member of a cruise ship was murdered on Roatan and that combined with the mainland of the country being used by cartels as part of the drug pipeline to the U.S., plus the current immigration crisis on the U.S. border all together add up to bad press for the country of Honduras. Is your phone eSIM ready? TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. The code also includes poorly constructed provisions that could lead to violations of the rights to assemble and protest and an overly broad definition of association to engage in terrorism, which could be used to criminalize and disproportionately punish behaviors that fall far short of what most reasonable observers would consider terrorism. 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 national police said. We provide specialized support for survivors of gender-based violence; create safe spaces for women, youth and the LGBTQ+ community; and also offer psychosocial counseling and social work support. And theyre generally safe. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most-watched television news channel for 18 consecutive years. Domestic and sexual violence are also widespread, with women and children bearing the brunt. To make sure youre having a successful trip, weve listed the safest, and the no-go areas below. In June 2020, a new criminal code came into effect. Simple as that. Some victims of extortion said that the only thing that has changed is how the money is collected. Many people do travel to this particular part of Honduras,even with their families. Thats mainly to visit islands like Roatan. These are the things to avoid in Honduras: Avoid looking wealthy or like a tourist Avoid the beaches after dark Dont use ATMs at night Stay away from drugs. Honduras. More than half of detained men and two-thirds of detained women were in pretrial detention. if youre visiting Honduras, you will have to avoid this city completely. In July 2020, gunmen in police uniforms abducted five indigenous Garifuna men in Triunfo de la Cruz, where communities are claiming ancestral land from drug traffickers and developers. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time can seriously get you in trouble. But if you meet the local ladies andlearn about their livesyoure going to have a VERY enriching experience on your hands. Crisis in Honduras: Ongoing violence and climate shocks Here are three reasons the International Rescue Committee's Emergency Watchlist ranks Honduras among 20 countries most at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2022. But the removal of military officers from an anti-gang taskforce resulted in a messy divorce that temporarily reduced the units already limited capacity opening a window for criminals and before the community policing model could have any effect, the political pressure to take decisive action against extortion boiled over. The Covid-19 pandemic has further limited access to education for many children. REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File Photo. Honduras - AP NEWS (Reporting by Orfa Mejia in Tegucigalpa; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Leslie Adler). Also in February, the OAS special rapporteur on freedom of expression called on Honduras to decriminalize defamation and to properly investigate killings of journalists. Planning a safe trip to Honduras can get quite overwhelming. We do our best to advise but this info may already be out of date. And there are roads that have higher levels ofattacks,including carjacking. In Honduras, Police Accused Of Corruption, Killings Hernndez ran for reelection in 2017 a controversial move in Honduras. 20 Top Safety Tips for Traveling to Honduras. It pays totravel smartin Honduras like ANYWHERE in the world. For Varela, who said she had never been a victim of extortion, but heard a lot about it as of late, human rights are just an obstacle. Share this via Email Naturally, youre going to be wondering, Is Honduras safe? That is why we have created this insiders guide looking at the safety of travelers in Honduras. We also provide critical, up-to-date information and support from trained moderators through CuntaNos, a digital platform that is part of the Global Signpost project. Read on for more detailed information on how to have a safe trip to Honduras. Since June, 2021 the United States has shared 6,088,590 safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses with the people of Honduras - free of cost. In 2013, Honduras reformed the penal code to recognize femicide as a crime. Reconsider travel to Honduras due to crime. Honduras and theUS signed anasylum cooperative agreement in 2019, whereby Honduras agreed to receivenon-Honduran asylum-seekerstransferred by the US. One example:tajadas(fried plantains, topped with cabbage and served with ground beef). Death threats and gang violence forcing more families to - ReliefWeb Women in Honduras face high levels of gender-based violence. Dont hitchhike ortake lifts from strangers , Other ways to meet fellow travelers and. Despite recent educational advances, around a third of children aged 3-17 did not attend school in 2018, according to the most recent survey by the National Statistics Institute. Officials flew Garza, a 48-year-old . Honduras Is the Most Violent Country in Central America | News At least 86 journalists were killed from 2001 through July 2020, the Honduran College of Journalists reported, and 92 percent of those killings remain unpunished. The new code also includes alternatives to detention for low-level crimes, including partial prison sentences and penalties that allow for conditional release. But like any war, it isnt just a battle against an enemy, but also for control of the popular narrative in this case, an attempt to counter allegations that the government has not done enough to combat rampant crime. Travel smart and make sure your safety and security is your number one priority. The inmates, all from Honduras, had reportedly escaped custody yesterday in Scott County. Marvin Damin Castro Molina, who, as part of the Coordination of the Southern Social Environmental Movement for Life, fought mining, agro-industry, and hydroelectric projects, was abducted and found dead in Choluteca in July 2020. Between 2005 and 2019, 34 percent of women who were 20-24 years old had married when they were 15-19, the UN Population Fund reported in 2020. The IRC is calling for stronger international cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis that displaces hundreds of thousands from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala every year. 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. MUST READ! Is Honduras Safe to Visit in 2022? - The Broke Backpacker By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. In El Salvador, a Thin Line Between Community Policing and Vigilantism. 18th Street gang - Wikipedia The IRC serves people and families in vulnerable situations or at increased risk for violence and displacement, including those who are uprooted by violence or returning after seeking safety in other countries. Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). So no. It is not just murder, it's also the shocking numbers of rape, assault, and domestic violence cases, happening with near-total impunity. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Honduras became the second country in Central America to declare a state of emergency to fight gang crimes like extortion. https://t.co/xQGbbyZXXv. Click here to read the full story: 6 gang members killed in Honduras prison. Weve covered the main safety concerns already, but there are a few more things to know. It has experienced one of the world's highest homicide rates, with multiple forms of violence linked to drug trafficking groups. Violence against LGBT individuals forces many to leave their homes, fleeing internally or leaving the country to seek asylum. Namely, being robbed. A 25-year-old migrant who posed as a minor to illegally cross the border was sentenced to 60 years for killing the father of four who took him in. Tegucigalpa. It was focused on the security, or lack of security in Honduras. Gang violence and organized crime are leading causes of displacement from Honduras. In October, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), of which Cceres was president, complained of continued delays and a lack of transparency in the case. Climate, violence, and Honduran migration to the United States - Brookings Extortion in the Northern Triangle is predominantly done from prisons, yet prison populations have been on the rise. TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The Honduran government on Saturday extended a state of emergency declaration for 45 days, expanding it to additional areas of the country in an effort to fight criminal. In March 2020, the government declared a state of emergency in response to the pandemic, imposing a lockdown and restricting movement and freedom of expression. Xiomara Castros crackdown on gangs is also an attempt to counter allegations the government hasnt done enough to combat crime. Hondurass prison population has doubled over the past decade, partly due to a 2013 reform that greatly expanded the use of mandatory pre-trial detention. During the first month of the measures, 39 criminal gangs were destroyed and 652 people were arrested, while 43 kilos of cocaine and thousands of grams and rocks of crack were seized, the police said. Half of underage pregnancies result from rape. Already vulnerable people in Honduras live in an evolving humanitarian crisis, says IRC protection coordinator Zuleyma Chahin. Members of the military police of public order patrol a street during a special operation against criminal gangs in Tegucigalpa on 6 December. Honduran illegal immigrant who lied to border authorities sentenced in While homicide rates have dropped in recent years, Honduras is still the most dangerous country in the region, with 38 homicides per 100,000 people.