Uniforms and vehicles are all clearly marked. The OSAC information exchange mechanism also . OSAC 2022-S-0024, Best Practice Recommendations for Evaluative Forensic DNA Testimony. Honduras is a constitutional, multiparty republic. NGOs and other civil society groups generally considered the commissioner independent but at times ineffective. On May 1, unknown assailants killed Alonso Salgado, a former member of the neighborhood council of the Ro Tinto Garfuna community and a member of the Garfuna rights organization OFRANEH, in Tela, Atlntida Department. The government did not effectively enforce the law. On September 22, the court in a preliminary hearing charged Eber Ezequiel Espinoza and Erick David Macas Rodrguez with quadruple homicide. As of August, CONADEH had received 35 complaints. The Military Police of Public Order report to military authorities but conduct operations sanctioned by civilian security officials as well as by military leaders. As a result of Honduran government efforts in close cooperation with the United States, homicide rates have fallen from 86.0 per 100,000 residents in 2012 to 43.6 per 100,000 at the end of 2019. DOS Trafficking in Persons Report - 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019. Contraception supplies were limited, as were many other critical medicines, due to the governments dismantling of its public health procurement system in May. Responding police fired tear gas in and around the main terminal to regain control after protesters entered the building and airport grounds. Media noted that family members often faced long delays or were unable to visit detainees. Persons with disabilities, Indigenous and Afro-descendant persons, LGBTQI+ persons, and persons with HIV or AIDS also faced discrimination in employment and occupation (also see section 6). Honduras is one of the Western Hemisphere's deadliest countries for journalists, with security forces representing their biggest threat, Reporters Without Borders noted in 2021. Exercise extreme caution driving on isolated stretches of road and passing other vehicles on mountainous curves. Congressional Research Service - Honduras - 2019, 2020. Penalties for violations of OSH law were commensurate with penalties for similar crimes but rarely applied against violators and rarely collected. Major cities connect via an inconsistently maintained, two-lane system of paved roads, with many unpaved secondary roads. 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. Fire Department operations: +504-2231-1667. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) was created in 1985 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to promote security cooperation between American private-sector interests worldwide and the U.S. Department of State.OSAC has developed into an enormously successful joint venture, with U.S. companies and organizations receiving the tools they need to cope with security issues in a . Crime Threats The law criminalizes sexual harassment, including in employment. In addition, a lack of implementing regulations leads to long delays in the awarding of titles in some regions. 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. However, protesters will also block, key intercity transportation routes and intracity intersections with burning tires, rocks and other debris, to include the roads leading to the international airports in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, and the CA-5 and CA-11 highways. -threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. CONAPREV reported 17 violent deaths in prisons as of September. Persons from Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities continued to experience discrimination in employment, education, housing, and health services. Many prisons lacked sufficient security personnel. Medical personnel held nationwide strikes and protests on March 30, April 20-30, May 31, and in certain regions on October 24. The government tasks CONAPREV with visiting prisons and making recommendations for protecting the rights of prisoners. Indigenous and ethnic minority communities are frequently located in rural areas, which enjoy lower levels of criminal activity. ; and read the State Departments webpage on, Passengers on public buses have been the victims of robbery at roadblocks and bus stops, during daytime and nighttime hours. With offices throughout the country, the ombudsperson received cases that otherwise might not have risen to national attention. Employers frequently penalized agricultural workers for taking legally authorized days off. The final verdict was pending a constitutional appeal. In March 2019, the Honduran Government created the National Urban Transportation Security Force to combat extortion and other crimes perpetrated by gangs. These tensions have resulted in intense protests and violence. Libel/Slander Laws: Citizens, including public officials, may initiate criminal proceedings for libel and slander. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media, b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association, d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country, f. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons, Section 3. Discrimination and Societal Abuses, Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination, Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics, Other Societal Violence and Discrimination, a. Former First Lady Rosa Elena Bonilla de Lobo was found guilty of fraud and misappropriation of public funds during a retrial on March 17. Before you travel, consider the following resources: The contents of this (U) report in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State, Honduras lacks the infrastructure to maintain water purity and food safety. There have been multiple incidents of gang members destroying city buses and taxis, and reports that gang members rob, assault, rape, kidnap, or murder passengers. Enforcement of OSH standards was particularly weak in the construction, garment assembly, and agricultural sectors, as well as in the informal economy. Most demonstrations were concentrated in or around city centers, public buildings, and other public areas. Latest Posts. These workers are not covered by the contributory social security system and are not protected by the labor code. Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: The Secretariat of Labor is responsible for enforcing wage, hour, and OSH laws, but it did so inconsistently and ineffectively. However, visitors have reported being robbed while walking on isolated beaches. Penalties were sometimes applied against violators. Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The minimum legal age of marriage for both boys and girls is 18. gangs are the most active and powerful. On February 2, the National Congress passed a retroactive amnesty law that absolved public officials who worked during the Zelaya Administration (2006-09) of crimes. World Report 2021: Honduras | Human Rights Watch Major urban centers and drug trafficking routes experienced the highest rates of violence. 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. Airlines estimate that approximately 250,000 U.S. citizens flew into Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, or Roatn in 2019. Avoid using Collectivos (white sedan taxis with a sticker on the windshield denoting its established route), Roleteros (private white sedan taxis with no established routes), and Rapiditos (small buses that pick up multiple riders). On September 21, the court sentenced her to more than 14 years in prison and ordered her to pay a fine of more than 13 million lempiras ($518,000). Organized-crime organizations, 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, and human rights defenders. There is no information to suggest that criminals specifically target U.S. citizens or foreigners. Many employers discriminated against women. As of August, inspectors conducted 14,221 total inspections, compared with 8,846 total inspections for the same period in 2021. Since 2012, the Honduran government signed agreements with Transparency International, the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative, and the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. 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. Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no restrictions of freedom of expression, association, or peaceful assembly regarding LGBTQI+ matters or events. Pretrial Detention: Judicial inefficiency, corruption, and insufficient resources delayed proceedings in the criminal justice system, and lengthy pretrial detention was a serious problem. Failure to register resulted in denial of public services, including access to health services or school enrollment. Official data on forced displacement, especially displacement due to violence, was limited in part because gangs controlled many of the neighborhoods where individuals were forced from their homes and communities (see section 6, Displaced Children). Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Honduras. 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 the use of children younger than 18 for exhibitions or performances of a sexual nature or in the production of pornography. Others reported direct acts of intimidation or threats of violence from government officials or supporters for publicly being critical of the government. The country does not appear to be a terrorist safe haven. January to December 2019, Secretariat of Security Honduran National Police. Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. Airlines estimate that approximately 250,000 U.S. citizens flew into Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, or Roatn in 2019. Violence against LGBTQI+ Persons: NGOs reported police or other government agents incited, perpetrated, condoned, or tolerated violence against LGBTQI+ individuals. Review OSACs reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? The Secretariat of Labor has the power to declare a work stoppage illegal and grants employers the ability to discipline employees consistent with their internal regulations, including by firing strikers, if the secretariat rules that a work stoppage is illegal. Roads have poor lighting and markings. The law grants workers the right to form and join unions of their choice, bargain collectively, and strike. The municipalities in which kidnappings were reported include: Districto Central (4), Jacaleapa (1), Trojes (1), Siguatepeque (1), Puerto Cortes (1), Lejamani (1), Tocoa (1), Tela (1), and Comayagua (1). Drug trafficking and gang activity, which includes local micro-trafficking of narcotics and extortion, are the main causes of violent crime in Honduras. If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime, contact the local police and U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa. Reach the local police anywhere in Honduras by dialing, . Review OSACs report, Armed robberies, burglaries, vandalization, home invasions, and extortions occur; closely guarded officials, businesspersons, and diplomats are not immune. 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 due to barriers in access to justice and lack of information regarding legal protections. Due to the remote nature of these areas, the governments ability to respond to violence or other problems is often very limited, as is access to medical facilities. See the Department of Labors Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings/. Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices Specifically Targeting LGBTQI+ Individuals: There were no reports of unnecessary surgeries performed on intersex persons. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Section 1. The law provides for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, with some restrictions, and the government generally respected this right. Download the State Departments Crime Victims Assistance, For fire and public safety emergencies, dial. Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Honduras. In these sectors, employers frequently paid workers for the standard 44-hour workweek irrespective of any additional hours they worked. The law provides for criminal penalties for corruption by officials, but authorities did not implement the law effectively, and officials continued to engage in corrupt practices with impunity. ; these are generally safer areas in which to reside because of their heightened security measures. Medical care is limited. Although Honduras has made some progress, many perceive the property registration system as unreliable and a constraint on investment, particularly in the Bay Islands. Both the secretariat and the commission focused on developing policies to address IDPs. Survivors of domestic violence are entitled to certain protective measures, such as removing the abuser from the home and prohibiting the abuser from visiting the victims work or other frequently visited places. Thefts, break-ins, assaults, rapes, and murders do occur. The government generally respected these provisions. 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 law states that a womans employment should be appropriate to her physical state and capacity. Civil society organizations criticized the governments failure to investigate threats adequately. 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. Indigenous and ethnic minority communities are frequently located in rural areas, which enjoy lower levels of criminal activity. The law establishes an independent and impartial judiciary in civil matters, including access to a court to seek damages for human rights violations. Local police and emergency services lack sufficient resources to respond effectively to serious crime. Country-specific Vaccination and Health Guidance. OSAC is a free service to U.S.-based or incorporated private sector organizations with overseas operations. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over security forces.
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