Impunity for such crimes remained high, as was the impunity rate for all types of crime. The government did not effectively enforce the law. Review OSACs report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Avoid using. Under the inspection law, the Secretariat of Labor has the authority to temporarily shut down workplaces where there is an imminent danger of fatalities. The government tasks CONAPREV with visiting prisons and making recommendations for protecting the rights of prisoners. Review the State Departments webpage on security for. Failure to register resulted in denial of public services, including access to health services or school enrollment. Roads have poor lighting and markings. Honduras is a signatory to the International Labor Organizations 169 Convention, which requires free prior notice and informed consent from indigenous communities before any development projects can begin; the congress has not approved a law regulating this process. See the Department of States International Religious Freedom Report at https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/. The Secretariat of Labor had an insufficient number of inspectors to enforce the wage, hour, and OSH laws effectively. Do not travel to Gracias a Dios Department due to crime. PF79-84SW: Honduras 2018 Crime & Safety Report - Archive The U.S. Embassy strongly discourages intercity car and bus travel after dark. Due to the lack of enforcement of traffic laws, travelers should make an extraordinary effort to drive defensively. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Tegucigalpa as being a MEDIUM-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Gangs control some of the taxi services. Violence linked to land disputes also occurs, particularly in the Bay Islands and Bajo Aguan Valley in northern Honduras. The government provided survivors of sexual violence access to other health-care services, such as psychological and social support as well as testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. Honduras - United States Department of State 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 requires that persons with disabilities have access to buildings, but few buildings were accessible, and the government did not effectively implement laws or programs to provide such access. Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices Specifically Targeting LGBTQI+ Individuals: There were no reports of unnecessary surgeries performed on intersex persons. Most demonstrations were concentrated in or around city centers, public buildings, and other public areas. Members of the LGBTI+ community have reported violent assaults because of gender identity and sexual orientation. The law provides for an independent judiciary, but the justice system was poorly staffed, inadequately equipped, often ineffective, and subject to intimidation, corruption, politicization, and patronage. The government prosecuted some officials who committed human rights abuses or engaged in corruption, but a weak judicial system and corruption were major obstacles to obtaining convictions. Air pollution can aggravate or lead to respiratory problems during the dry season due to widespread forest fires and agricultural burning. Please note that all OSAC products are for internal U.S. private sector security purposes only. The government had a nascent system to provide legal protection to refugees. Review OSACs reports, The Overseas Travelers Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices. Local police and emergency services lack sufficient resources to respond effectively to serious crime. Perdomo was charged with the February 2021 murder of Keyla Martnez in La Esperanza, Intibuc Department. Children, including from Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, particularly Miskito boys, were at risk for forced labor in the agriculture, manufacturing, fishing, mining, construction, and hospitality industries. Some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) expressed concern regarding weak implementation of the law, limited resources available to operate the governments protection mechanism, and insufficient training for new personnel after significant personnel turnover during the year. The law prohibits workers from legally striking until direct negotiations and government-accompanied mediation and conciliation have failed. Review OSACs report, Kidnapping: The Basics. 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. In March 2019, the Honduran Government created the National Urban Transportation Security Force to combat extortion and other crimes perpetrated by gangs. They had limited representation in the national government and consequently little direct input into decisions affecting their lands, cultures, traditions, and the allocation of natural resources. Since 2012, the Honduran government signed agreements with Transparency International, the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative, and the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. On December 2, the court found Aarn Jeriel lvarez Pavn guilty of Rodrguezs murder. Transiting migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable populations continued to face acute security risks in border zones. Criminal groups, such as drug traffickers and local and transnational gangs including MS-13 and the 18th Street gang, committed killings, extortion, kidnappings, human trafficking, and intimidation of police, prosecutors, journalists, women, human rights defenders, and others. The law allows bail for persons charged with some felonies and gives prisoners the right of prompt access to family members. On May 26, National Police officers allegedly entered the home of human rights defender Deninson Escalante in El Palenque, Choluteca Department, without a warrant, searched the house, and beat Escalantes parents, brother, and nephew. The Directorate of Disciplinary Police Affairs investigated abuses by police forces. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Section 1. Prison conditions were harsh and at times life threatening due to pervasive gang-related violence and the governments failure to control criminal activity within the prisons. However, visitors have reported being robbed while walking on isolated beaches. Credit card skimming is common. Censorship or Content Restrictions for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media: Media members and NGOs stated the press self-censored due to fear of retaliation from criminal groups, drug trafficking organizations, or corrupt government officials. Improvements: On March 10, the armed forces officially transferred control of the National Prison Institute to the National Police as part of a government initiative to demilitarize prisons. Avoid protests, which can quickly turn violent. Acting Assistant Secretary of State Todd J. Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. According to the Honduran National Police, there were 12 kidnappings reported nationwide during 2019. Country-Specific Resources | VIGH Student Portal | Vanderbilt University The United Nations reported the adolescent birth rate was 89 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19. During 2019, multiple vehicles belonging to U.S. and Honduran employees of the U.S. Embassy were burglarized and/or vandalized on side streets around the Embassy compound. Unions also raised concerns that employers used temporary contracts to prevent unionization and to avoid providing full benefits. The police, along with the Ministry of Defenses Military Public Order Police (PMOP), routinely establish checkpoints and review documentation (e.g. 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. Drug trafficking and gang activity, which includes local micro-trafficking of narcotics and extortion, are the main causes of violent crime in Honduras. Violence was often rooted in a broader context of conflict over land and natural resources, corruption, lack of transparency and community consultation, other criminal activity, and limited state ability to protect the rights of vulnerable communities. On May 30, protesters blocked several main avenues in Tegucigalpa, including access to Toncontn International Airport (TGU). The Secretariat of Labor posted job opportunity announcements that specified a gender requirement. The law does not permit active members of the military or civilian security forces to vote. Civil society continued to raise problems with minimum wage violations, highlighting agricultural companies in the south as frequent violators. Credible observers noted problems in trial procedures, such as a lack of admissible evidence (i.e., prosecution failed to submit sufficient evidence of guilt), judicial corruption, witness intimidation, and an ineffective witness protection program. Although Honduras has made some progress, many perceive the property registration system as unreliable and a constraint on investment, particularly in the Bay Islands. Cruise ship industry contacts report that approximately one million U.S. citizens enter the country by ship every year, primarily in Roatn, but also in La Ceiba on the northern coast. Employers paid the minimum wage inconsistently in other sectors. Persons from Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities continued to experience discrimination in employment, education, housing, and health services. Campbell, who had been on the run for five years after being charged with money laundering in Honduras, was arrested in June 2021 in Nicaragua. CONADEH reported 31 cases of alleged torture or cruel and inhuman treatment by security forces through August, while the Public Ministry received 10 such reports through July. There were numerous reports of government corruption. Review OSACs report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System, The U.S. Department of State has assessed Tegucigalpa as being a. International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and USAID implementing partners have reported threats and violence when visiting some rural communities. , which requires free prior notice and informed consent from indigenous communities before any development projects can begin; the congress has not approved a law regulating this process. Reach the local police anywhere in Honduras by dialing 911. Republic of Honduras - United States Department of Justice 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Honduras, An official website of the United States Government, https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/, https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/, https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings/. The government places specially trained police forces in areas tourists frequent (e.g. The location and timing of criminal activity are unpredictable. HMCs lab was reviewed by the Regional Medical Laboratory Scientist and found to be up to U.S. standards and quality assurance practices. The National Human Rights Commission (CONADEH) reported two arbitrary or unlawful killings by security forces as of August. The legal age of consent is 18. Corruption: On June 10, Marco Bogrn, former director of INVEST-H, the government entity tasked with making COVID-19 pandemic relief contracts with private firms, was found guilty of aggravated fraud and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of 1.475 billion lempiras ($58.7 million).