Driving in Honduras can be dangerous. An Ojai police car is parked on Thacher Road. Why Money Launderers in Honduras May Be Getting Away With It ELITES AND CRIME / 1 NOV 2022 Honduras has freed dozens of individuals tied to organized crime a year after reforming its money laundering law. A significant percentage of vehicles are in disrepair, underpowered, beyond their lifecycle, and would not meet U.S. road safety standards. There was limited support for persons with mental illnesses or disabilities. Spurred by anger with the government over accusations of public corruption, allegations of involvement in narcotics trafficking, and efforts to pass controversial education reform, protests and demonstrations were near-daily occurrences at times during 2019. 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. honduras crime and safety report 2021. for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Vasquez was the leader of the Union of Field Workers, a member of the Lenca community, an environmental activist, and a LIBRE Party candidate for Congress. A 59-year-old man was listed as the victim when it was . In September police arrested Denis Abel Ordonez, Michael Andre Mejia, and Walter Antonio Matute Raudales in connection with her murder. There were reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. Always carry a mobile phone in case of emergency. 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 (see section 6, Children). Gang violence is widespread in and around urban areas. Children often worked alongside family members in agriculture and other work, such as fishing, construction, transportation, and small businesses. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported that authorities at times failed to enforce these requirements effectively. Share this via LinkedIn OSAC encourages travelers to, to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Honduras. Passengers on public buses have been the victims of robbery at roadblocks and bus stops, during daytime and nighttime hours. Most children who worked did so without STSS permits. Recent Elections: In November Xiomara Castro of the LIBRE Party won a four-year presidential term in elections that were generally considered free, fair, and transparent. Since 2010, 42 journalists have been killed, UNESCO reported. Authorities did not generally segregate those with tuberculosis or other infectious diseases from the general prison population; as of September the National Prison Institute reported 106 prisoners had been treated for tuberculosis. Under the new inspection law, the STSS has the authority temporarily to shut down workplaces where there is an imminent danger of fatalities; however, there were not enough trained inspectors to deter violations sufficiently. The Military Police of Public Order report to military authorities but conduct operations sanctioned by civilian security officials as well as by military leaders. The secretariat reported assisting 127 IDPs as of August. Inconsistent, retroactive implementation of provisions of the revised code led to logjams in the legal system and impunity for some of the accused. January to December 2019, Secretariat of Security Honduran National Police. Many activists report that crimes committed against the LGBTI+ community go unpunished. In 2019, there were 1,500 traffic fatalities throughout the country. The governments National Policy to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination seeks to promote equality and combat discrimination related to the countrys seven indigenous and two Afro-descendent groups, with a focus on social and political participation; access to education, health care, justice, and employment opportunities; and rights to ancestral lands and natural resources. The Human Rights Secretariat (SEDH) informed that 314 women were murdered in Honduras in 2021. The Honduran government is modernizing some of the main transportation road networks to four-lane highways, which can lead to increased travel times because of ongoing construction. The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance forHonduras. On October 7, the National Congress passed changes to the money-laundering law to designate civil society organizations as politically exposed persons due to organizations use of foreign aid. Perdomo allegedly killed Keyla Martinez after she was detained for violating the countrys COVID-19 curfew. Civil unrest in Tegucigalpa and other parts of Honduras remains a constant challenge. The law regulates child labor, sets the minimum age for employment at age 14, and regulates the hours and types of work that minors younger than 18 may perform. Share this via Printer. 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. Estimates of the number of children younger than 18 in the countrys workforce ranged from 370,000 to 510,000. On July 25, media reported individuals shot and killed Liberal Party congressional candidate and former congresswoman Carolina Echeverria Haylock in Tegucigalpa. However, many petitions for pandemic release have been rejected. Wage and Hour Laws: There are 45 categories of monthly minimum wage, based on the industry and the size of a companys workforce; the minimum average was above the poverty line. Civil society groups reported that women often did not report domestic violence or withdrew charges because they feared, or were economically dependent on, the aggressor. For information or questions concerning a country's animal disease status and restrictions please contact the APHIS Veterinary Services, Strategy and Policy, Animal Product Import and Export at: USDA-APHIS. Veterinary Services, Strategy and Policy, Animal Product Import and Export (APIE) 4700 River Road, Unit 40. CONAPREV conducted 138 visits to prisons as of September. Watchlist 2022 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. There were credible reports that members of the security forces committed some abuses. Impunity remains the norm. 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. 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. Honduras is a constitutional, multiparty republic. It named 21 from Honduras, including former President Porfirio Lobo Sosa (2010-2014), who became ineligible for visas and admission to the US. While many protests remain relatively peaceful, demonstrations can escalate into violent confrontations with the police resulting in destruction to public and private property. These efforts were insufficient due to limited political will, inadequate staffing, limited or no services in rural areas, absence of or inadequate training and awareness of domestic violence among police and other authorities, and a pattern of male-dominant culture and norms. The court found that Hernndez suffered harassment by police the night before she was killed, the police and military had effective control of the streets on the night she died, and Honduras conducted no effective investigation into her killing. The Honduras Country Council generally meets monthly on a rotating basis in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula and has approximately 70 members. According to the secretariat, the system was designed for approximately 10,600 inmates. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2019 was 42.01, a 7.91% increase from 2018. The limited capacity of the government to enforce international standards related to natural resource exploitation has resulted in higher levels of conflict in the extractive and electrical generation industries. The law prohibits the sale, distribution, and use of emergency contraception for any reason, including for survivors of sexual violence. Civil society continued to raise problems with minimum wage violations, highlighting agricultural companies in the south as frequent violators. While all formal workers are entitled to social security, there were reports that both public- and private-sector employers failed to pay into the social security system. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. Discrimination is also common in schools, the workplace, and in the home. In March 2019, the Honduran Government created the National Urban Transportation Security Force to combat extortion and other crimes perpetrated by gangs. osac crime and safety report honduras Posted on July 8, 2021by Published by at June 7, 2022. Local, Regional, and International Terrorism Threats/Concerns. The following diseases are prevalent in Honduras: Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, Malaria, and Zika. Review the State Departments webpage on security for LGBTI+ travelers. Members of the LGBTI+ community have reported violent assaults because of gender identity and sexual orientation. In February, the US announced suspension and planned termination of the asylum cooperative agreement signed with Honduras in 2019, whereby Honduras had agreed to receive non-Honduran asylum-seekers transferred from the US. International observers acknowledged some of these irregularities but reported they were not systematic and not widespread enough to affect the outcome of the presidential election. Support and resources from a four-year Organization of American States (OAS) mission to strengthen the fight against corruption and impunity, concluded in January 2020, have not produced lasting reforms. As of June the Violence Observatory reported killings of 80 persons younger than 18. The armed forces, which report to the Secretariat of Defense, are responsible for external security but also exercise some domestic security responsibilities in support of the national police and other civilian authorities. In July, the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) and the IACHR urged the government to refrain from charging Garifuna women with damage, threats, theft, and usurpation of lands. Would you like to continue with this session or log out? Those planning travel to Gracias a Dios should consider postponing their travel. From January to September 2021, 31,894 Hondurans requested asylum in Mexico, the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid (COMAR) reportedfiling more than 35 percent of Mexicos total asylum petitions. Litigants may sue a criminal defendant for damages if authorized by a criminal court. The quasi-governmental National Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment (CONAPREV) received 18 complaints of the use of torture or cruel and inhuman treatment through August. -threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. This definition included workers who did not contribute to any form of social security protection, and thus it may have undercounted underemployed workers who rely on jobs in both the formal and informal sectors. He estimated the companies and drivers have paid an average of about $10 million per month to the gangs in order to operate. HMCs lab was reviewed by the Regional Medical Laboratory Scientist and found to be up to U.S. standards and quality assurance practices. Corruption along with a lack of investigative resources and judicial delays led to widespread impunity, including in security forces. Due to the lack of enforcement of traffic laws, travelers should make an extraordinary effort to drive defensively. Penalties for the possession, use, or trafficking of illegal narcotics are strict; convicted offenders can expect lengthy jail sentences and fines. Although Honduras has made some progress, many perceive the property registration system as unreliable and a constraint on investment, particularly in the Bay Islands. The law prohibits all forms of forced labor, but the government did not effectively implement or enforce the law. Since 2012, the Honduran government signed agreements with Transparency International, the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative, and the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. In October 2019, a thief stole the side view mirrors from a U.S. employees personally owned vehicle while it was parked on a side street near the Embassy.
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