honduras crime and safety report 2020

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. The government continued to prosecute some officials who committed abuses, but a weak judicial system and corruption were major obstacles to gaining convictions. 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. 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 tribunal published its reports on its website and cited the names of public officials who did not comply with the disclosure law. On February 4, media reported unknown assailants shot and killed three National Party local leaders in three separate incidents within five days in Tegucigalpa: Oscar Obdulio Licona Ruiz on January 31 and Dagoberto Villalta and Marcial Martinez on February 4. Most women in the workforce engaged in lower-status and lower-paying informal occupations, such as domestic service, without the benefit of legal protections. Authorities did not generally segregate those with tuberculosis or other infectious diseases from the general prison population; as of September the INP reported 153 prisoners were being treated for tuberculosis. Contraception supplies continued to be limited by shortages and insufficient funding. 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. Following months of negotiation, the government and the OAS did not reach an agreement to maintain the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH), and its mandate expired in January. 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 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. Number of. 10. The law prohibits the use of children younger than 18 for exhibitions or performances of a sexual nature or in the production of pornography. The curfew severely limited freedom of movement and banned large gatherings. The law also requires that public-sector workers involved in the refining, transportation, and distribution of petroleum products submit their grievances to the Secretariat of Labor and Social Security (STSS) before striking. Trying again, focused this time on crime, he was . The STSS completed 13 inspections as of March and did not find any minors working without permission. The reports alleged illicit gains of more than 1.64 billion lempiras ($68 million) by government officials in the purchase of medical supplies. During 2021, a total of 342 femicides were recorded in Honduras. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. 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 regional [] The government did not effectively enforce the law. The Secretariat of Human Rights provided training to security forces to increase respect for human rights. The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority. You should be aware that tourist hotspots, public transportation and some streets are places where most thefts and pickpocketing occur, and that violent crime exists on the streets, too. Children often worked on melon, coffee, okra, and sugarcane plantations as well as in other agricultural production; scavenged at garbage dumps; worked in the forestry, hunting, and fishing sectors; worked as domestic servants; peddled goods such as fruit; begged; washed cars; hauled goods; and labored in limestone quarrying and lime production. 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. There was no information available on any major industrial accidents. Freedom of Expression, Including for the Press, b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association, e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons, Section 3. Police were investigating the killings. 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. Child Abuse: Child abuse remained a serious problem. On July 1, unknown assailants on a motorcycle shot and killed television journalist German Vallecillo and cameraman Jorge Posas in La Ceiba. Sample Page; ; Credible allegations of corruption in the Secretariat of Labor continued. There were no credible reports of political prisoners or detainees. The penalties for rape range from three to nine years imprisonment, and the courts enforced these penalties. Coercion in Population Control: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. Invest-H, the agency in charge of purchasing medical supplies during the pandemic, purchased seven mobile hospitals for 1.13 billion lempiras ($47 million), more than 289.4 million lempiras ($12 million) above the manufacturers quoted price. The Secretariat of Human Rights reported that as of September 2, the total prison population was 21,675 in 25 prisons and three detention centers. 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 Public Ministrys Office of the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights handled cases involving charges of human rights abuses by government officials. Overview: The IDF, under the Israeli Ministry of Defense, is responsible for the West Bank, but PA security forces were granted security control of 17.5 percent (called Area A) under the 1993 Oslo Accords. Get full access to the Ojai Valley news and sports coverage, as well as arts and entertainment, opinions and more. NGOs reported irregularities, including problems with voter rolls, buying and selling of electoral workers credentials, and lack of transparency in campaign financing. Josue Alvarado was assigned to Task Force Maya Chorti. On November 23, the court halted the presentation of evidence hearing after the defense filed an appeal. The Secretariat of Human Rights noted an exponential increase in gender-based violence and domestic violence during the national curfew. The government investigated and prosecuted many of these crimes, particularly through the national polices Violent Crimes Task Force. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2020 was 36.33, a 13.52% decline from 2019. The law does not protect domestic workers effectively. This is the second consecutive year that the murder rate falls below 40 per . Section 2. Financial Disclosure: Public officials are subject to a financial disclosure law but did not always comply. The accused has the right to an initial hearing before a judge, to ask for bail, consult with legal counsel in a timely manner, have a lawyer provided by the state if necessary, and request an appeal. Josue Alvarado allegedly shot Marvin Alvarado after a heated discussion over Marvin Alvarados failure to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law provides for freedom of expression, including for the press, with some restrictions, and the government generally respected this right. Indigenous communities continued to report threats and acts of violence against them and against community and environmental activists. TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK : HIGH Public transport is highly risky in Honduras. The law prohibits night work and overtime for minors younger than 18, but the STSS may grant special permission for minors between the ages of 16 to 18 to work in the evening if such employment does not adversely affect their education. During the year the National Anticorruption Council reported numerous irregularities in the purchase of emergency medical supplies during the pandemic. The law provides for the right to a fair and public trial; however, the judiciary did not always enforce this right. Administrative penalties were insufficient to deter violations and were rarely enforced. The law permits defendants to confront witnesses against them and offer witnesses and evidence in their defense. The IACHR reported the government at times used a policy of arbitrary detentions or arrests to inhibit protest. 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 Public Ministry is responsible for prosecuting violations. Bernardez was a leader in the Punta Piedra community. Government officials were somewhat cooperative and responsive to their views, but some human rights organizations criticized government officials for lack of access and responsiveness. The Violence Observatory reported 55 killings of women from March 15 to June 6, compared with 102 for the same period in 2019. Regulations for implementing the law remained under development as of September. By law women have equal access to educational opportunities. This force is composed of active members of the army and national police. 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. Victims were primarily impoverished individuals in both rural and urban areas (see section 7.c.). Although it is outside the period of study for this report, it is worth noting that the reduction of penalties for violent crimes against women included in the new Criminal Code (adopted in 2018) sends a contradictory message from the government in its ight . According to the secretariat, the system had a designed capacity for approximately 10,600 inmates. Reports of violence related to land conflicts and criminal activity continued. About. 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. Honduras remains one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the Western Hemisphere. The vast majority of children who worked did so without STSS permits. Discrimination: Although the law accords women and men the same legal rights and status, including property rights in divorce cases, many women did not fully enjoy such rights. the 2017 Annual Report. By law the STSS may fine companies that violate the right to freedom of association. The Autonomous University of Honduras Violence Observatory reported 13 arbitrary or unlawful killings by security forces during the year. According to the Violence Observatory, of the 317 reported cases from 2009 through 2019 of hate crimes and violence against members of the LGBTI population, 92 percent had gone unpunished. Some larger cities have police forces that operate independently of the national police and report to municipal authorities. Nam Y. Huh - staff, AP. At the local level, only 7 percent of elected mayors were women, but women represented 76 percent of the elected vice mayors. . (SOUTH DAKOTA NEWS WATCH) - South Dakota received nearly $14 billion in federal COVID-19 funding from March 2020 through January, according to an internal state fiscal report . Employers rarely paid the minimum wage in the agricultural sector and paid it inconsistently in other sectors. The violence is carried out by local drug trafficking groups, gangs, corrupt security forces and transnational criminal organizations mainly from Mexico and Colombia. The Organization of American States (OAS) and EU observer teams agreed the margin of victory separating incumbent president Hernandez from challenger Salvador Nasralla was extremely narrow. 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. You can add more than one country or area. 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. Police later arrested the guard accused of killing Alvarez. The West Bank and Gaza Strip. Yes, despite all the historical crime and violence, which don't affect tourists, El Salvador is safe to visit in 2023. The law provides for an independent judiciary, but the justice system was poorly funded and staffed, inadequately equipped, often ineffective, and subject to intimidation, corruption, politicization, and patronage. The Secretariat of Human Rights stated it was taking every precaution to protect prisoners rights and assure that the work provided opportunities for prisoners to develop skills they could use in legal economic activities after their release. 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. Download Historical Data In many industries, including agriculture, cleaning, and security, employers did not respect maternity rights or pay minimum wage, overtime, or vacation. Freedom of Press and Media, Including Online Media: Independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views without restriction. On September 16, the Public Ministry filed an indictment against army military police officer Josue Noe Alvarado Giron for the April 24 murder of Marvin Rolando Alvarado Santiago at a military roadblock in Omoa, Cortes. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) The STSS approved 43 such authorizations through September. It also provides for paid national holidays and annual leave. According to UNICEF, 8 percent of children were married before age 15, and 34 percent before age 18. The law provides for freedom of association, and the government generally respected this right. The law does not authorize pretrial detention for crimes with a maximum sentence of five years or less. 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 law permits fines, and while the monetary penalty is sufficient to deter violations and commensurate with the penalties for similar crimes, such as fraud, the failure of the government to collect those fines facilitated continued labor code violations. Many employers discriminated against women. 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. Abuse of Migrants, Refugees, and Stateless Persons: Transiting migrants and asylum seekers with pending cases were vulnerable to abuse by criminal organizations. Inspectors suspended inspections in March under the national curfew in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Impunity, however, remained a serious problem, with significant delays in some prosecutions and sources alleging corruption in judicial proceedings. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from: a. The government failed to control pervasive gang-related violence and criminal activity within the prisons. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining, b. By August it had provided protection to two journalists, among other types of activists and human rights defenders. 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. These reporting centers were in addition to the 298 government-operated womens officesone in each municipalitythat provided a wide array of services to women, focusing on education, personal finance, health, social and political participation, environmental stewardship, and prevention of gender-based violence. In terms of murder rate, it's the second most violent country in Central or South America, trailing only Venezuela. On July 10, unidentified assailants shot and killed transgender activist Scarleth Campbell in Tegucigalpa. Recent Elections: In December 2017 Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party was declared the winner in the November elections. 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. Freedom of Speech: The law includes a provision to punish persons who directly or through public media incite discrimination, contempt, repression, or violence against a person, group, or organization for reasons of 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. Honduras crime rate & statistics for 2018 was 38.93, a 5.01% decline from 2017. Of course, while it's not ever good to generalize an. 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. Farmers markets and local food networks aren't new to Minnesota. Female victims of domestic violence are entitled to certain protective measures, such as removal of the abuser from the home and prohibiting the abuser from visiting the victims work or other frequently visited places. The IACHR expressed concern in 2019 regarding the "critical levels of. The law allows persons charged with some felonies to avail themselves of bail and gives prisoners the right of prompt access to family members. This was the result of strong legislation, low cybersecurity exposure (how exposed the digital infrastructure is) and the exceptional top score at the Global Cybersecurity Index, one of the six indices taken . The police will make their situation more difficult. Q: What happened to the original stars of "The Wild Wild West"? The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her bid for a second term Tuesday, failing to make a top-two runoff in the latest demonstration of growing concerns about crime in one of the nation's largest . The bloodiest municipalities are located in Francisco Morazan, San Pedro Sula, Choloma, El Progreso, and La Ceiba. If a victims physical injuries do not reach the severity required to categorize the violence as a criminal act, the legal penalty for a first offense is a sentence of one to three months of community service. Every 18 hours, a woman is a victim of a violent death. The National Migration Institute secretary general, responsible for final case determinations, had not resumed this function as of October. The legal age of consent is 18. In 2019, Honduras saw its first rise in murders in seven years, though all three countries recorded declines in 2020 due to pandemic-related restrictions. That is 2,607 fewer homicides. Although 74 percent of births were attended by skilled health care personnel, NGOs reported that there were significant gaps in obstetric care, especially in rural areas. They practice "war taxing", which is essentially just demanding money from people. Many inspectors asked workers to provide them with transportation so that they could conduct inspections, since the STSS could not pay for travel to worksites. Feb 28, 2023. Persons with disabilities, indigenous and Afro-Honduran persons, LGBTI persons, and persons with HIV or AIDS also faced discrimination in employment and occupation (see section 6). 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. Lori Lightfoot rode into the Chicago mayor's office in 2019 as a reform candidate, offering a break from the city's clubby political scene while making history as the first Black Some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) expressed concern about weak implementation of the law and limited resources available to operate the governments protection mechanism. There were no credible reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities. Internal displacement was generally caused by violence, national and transnational gang activity, and human trafficking. In security and domestic service sectors, workers were frequently forced to work more than 60 hours per week but paid only for 44 hours. 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. The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and provides for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court. CONAPREV conducted more than 84 visits to adult prisons as of the end of August. 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. The law states that a womans employment should be appropriate according to her physical state and capacity. These conditions contributed to an unstable, dangerous environment in the penitentiary system. The whereabouts of four Indigenous Garifuna members of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) forcibly disappeared in July 2020 remained unknown. Police arrested Ramon David Zelaya Hernandez on July 4 and Edward David Zalavarria Galeas on July 6 as the two main suspects in the killings. Both the ministry and the commission focused on developing policies to address IDPs. It was unclear how many of these threats were related to the victims professions or activism. The law prohibits police from unionizing (see section 7.a.). The end of the civil war ushered in new and complex forms of violence: Country Summary: Violent crime, such as homicide and armed robbery, is common. Ethnic minority rights leaders, international NGOs, and farmworker organizations continued to claim the government failed to redress actions taken by security forces, government agencies, and private individuals and businesses to dislodge farmers and indigenous persons from lands over which they claimed ownership based on land reform law or ancestral land titles. Latest News Profile Criminal Actors Investigations News 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. The law prohibits employers from requiring pregnancy tests as a prerequisite for employment; penalties were not sufficient to deter violations. CHICAGO (AP) Four years ago, Paul Vallas finished toward the bottom of the pack in a crowded race for Chicago mayor. Unrelated to the curfew, there were areas where authorities could not assure freedom of movement because of criminal activity and a lack of significant government presence. Without a visa, Central Americans are routinely pulled from buses by authorities to prevent them from making their way. Five other cases were under investigation. Long periods of pretrial detention remained common and problematic, with many other pretrial detainees held in the general population with convicted prisoners. Administration: The judicial system was legally responsible for monitoring prison conditions and providing for the rights of prisoners. Authorities arrested Bogran on October 5 and released him on October 8 on bail pending trial. For years, street gangs have charged protection . Forced labor occurred in street vending, domestic service, the transport of drugs and other illicit goods, other criminal activity, and the informal sector. Workers had difficulty exercising the rights to form and join unions and to engage in collective bargaining, and the government failed to enforce applicable laws effectively. 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 criminalizes domestic violence and provides penalties of up to four years in prison for domestic violence. Civil society organizations criticized the governments failure to investigate threats adequately. Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, a. The law provides a maximum sentence of three years in prison for disobeying a restraining order connected with the crime of intrafamilial violence. The OAS mission found that the 1.5 percent margin of victory, combined with numerous irregularities in vote processing, left it unable to state with certainty who won the presidential election. Official data on forced internal displacement was limited in part because gangs controlled many of the neighborhoods that were sources of internal displacement (see section 6, Displaced Children). 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. On January 9, 2018, the Honduran State confirmed the on-site visit to Honduras on the dates proposed by the IACHR. Violent organized crime continues to disrupt Honduran society and push many people to leave the country. Honduras With a crime index of 74.54, Honduras ranks fifth in the world in terms of crime rate. 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. The Ministries of Security and Defense both have human rights offices that investigated alleged human rights abuses and coordinated human rights-related activities with the Secretariat of Human Rights. The COVID-19 lockdown and curfew affected sex workers income and further exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. Prior to the twin shocks of 2020, 25.2 percent of the Honduran population lived in extreme poverty and almost half (4.4 million people) lived in poverty, based on the official poverty lines. This report provides a snapshot of events during 2021 relevant to countries designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism. In addition the law prohibits strikes in a wide range of economic activities that the government has designated as essential services or that it considers would affect the rights of individuals in the larger community to security, health, education, and economic and social well-being.

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honduras crime and safety report 2020