The San Pedro Sula area has seen armed robberies against tourist vans, minibuses, and cars traveling from the airport to area hotels. Those traveling with tour/missionary groups report fewer criminal incidents. Counterfeit Honduran lempiras (currency) are common, especially in the 100 and 500 denominations. There is also a Human Rights Committee in the National Congress. With offices throughout the country, the ombudsperson received cases that otherwise might not have risen to national attention. Recent Elections: In November 2021, Xiomara Castro of the LIBRE Party won a four-year presidential term in elections that were generally considered free, fair, and transparent. However, there can be communal tension over land ownership, natural resource allocation, and exploitation. According to the Honduran National Police, there were 12 kidnappings reported nationwide during 2019. Travelers should be aware, however, that the assistance the Embassy can provide is limited to making sure U.S. citizens are not treated differently from local detainees and providing them with a list of local attorneys. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Section 1. Forced labor occurred in street vending, domestic service, the transport of illegal drugs and other illicit goods, other criminal activity, and the informal sector. Medical personnel held nationwide strikes and protests on March 30, April 20-30, May 31, and in certain regions on October 24. Brown Follow Us: January 22, 2021 The government operated six consolidated reporting and support centers in major cities and one mobile unit for the departments of Yoro and Corts where women could report crimes, seek medical and psychological attention, and receive other services. For more in-depth information, review OSACs. The murder trial of police officer Jarol Rolando Perdomo Sarmiento concluded on October 17. Air pollution can aggravate or lead to respiratory problems during the dry season due to widespread forest fires and agricultural burning. Latest News. Criminal groups, including local and transnational gangs and narcotics traffickers, were significant perpetrators of violent crimes and committed acts of homicide, torture, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, intimidation, and other threats and violence directed against human rights defenders, judicial authorities, lawyers, business community members, journalists, bloggers, women, and other vulnerable populations. Observers noted several significant improvements in transparency procedures, including electoral reforms, an updated voter registry, new national identification cards, and new technologies that included a biometric verification system and a preliminary results transmission system. There is no information to suggest that criminals specifically target U.S. citizens or foreigners. Congressional Research Service - Honduras - 2019, 2020. Also see the Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report at https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/. Honduras received support from the Millennium Challenge Corporation in the development of an e-procurement platform and public procurement auditing. 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 law prohibits the sale, distribution, and use of emergency contraception for any reason, including by survivors of sexual violence. Counterfeit U.S. currency is also common. Thefts, break-ins, assaults, rapes, and murders do occur. 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. The country was a destination for child sex tourism, particularly in the tourist area of the Bay Islands. 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. HMCs lab was reviewed by the Regional Medical Laboratory Scientist and found to be up to U.S. standards and quality assurance practices. 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 Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH), established in 2016 through an agreement between the government and the Organization of American States. The government did not effectively enforce the law. The Public Ministry also has a Special Prosecutors Office for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Social Communicators, and Justice Officials. The following diseases are prevalent in Honduras: Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, Malaria, and Zika. The legal age of consent is 18. Impunity for such crimes was high. Most cruise line passengers experience no problems, but there have been reports of associated armed robbery and carjacking. Gracias a Diosis a remote location where narcotics trafficking is frequent, infrastructure is weak, government services are limited, and police/military presence is scarce. According to government estimates, children with disabilities attended school at a lower rate than the general population. Ethnic minority rights leaders, international NGOs, and farmworker organizations claimed the government failed to redress actions taken by security forces, government agencies, private individuals, and businesses to dislodge Indigenous persons from lands over which they claimed ownership based on land reform law or ancestral land titles. According to the report, informal workers played a large role in nearly every industry, including agriculture and fishing; mining; manufacturing; utilities; construction; wholesale, retail, hotels, and restaurants; transport and storage; and personal services. 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. According to a November 2019 study entitled Plan for Sustainable Urban Mobility for the Central District and Comayaguela, 48% of passengers reported having been assaulted one time in the past 12 months while traveling on a, , 31% twice, 11% three times, and 10% more than three times. 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. Mental-health professionals expressed concern regarding social stigma by families and communities against persons with mental disabilities and a lack of access to mental-health care throughout the country. The U.S. Embassy estimates at least 30,000 U.S. citizens reside in Honduras. Although Honduras has made some progress, many perceive the property registration system as unreliable and a constraint on investment, particularly in the Bay Islands. Dial 911 for emergency or call (504) 2232-4092. 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. The law was not effectively enforced, and weak public institutional structures contributed to the inadequate enforcement. Meanwhile, 59% reported having been assaulted at least once while a passenger in a taxi (. ) 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. Both the Secretariat of Labor and the courts may order a company to reinstate workers, but the secretariat lacked the personnel and transportation resources to verify compliance. Credit card skimming is common. These deaths included several in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba involving U.S. citizens murdered shortly after arriving in the country. The law provides for the right to a fair and public trial; however, the judiciary did not always enforce these rights. Low salaries and a lack of internal controls rendered judicial officials susceptible to bribery. Employers frequently penalized agricultural workers for taking legally authorized days off. Authorities continued to investigate the incident. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center estimated there were approximately 247,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to violence in the country as of 2021. 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. Violent transnational criminal organizations are also involved in narcotics trafficking and other illicit commerce. Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: Transgender persons are prohibited from changing their name and legal gender status. Cruise ship passengers should take safety precautions, avoid unfamiliar areas, and book only with reputable tour companies during their stopover in Honduras. Employers frequently refused to comply with Secretariat of Labor orders that required them to reinstate workers who had been dismissed for participating in union activities. There is street crime even in gated communities commonly referred to locally as. Historically, corruption has been pervasive in government procurement, issuance of government permits, customs, real estate transactions (particularly land title transfers), performance requirements, and the regulatory system. Violent transnational criminal organizations are also involved in narcotics trafficking and other illicit commerce. Review the State Departments webpage on security for LGBTI+ travelers. 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. Diarrheal illness is very common even in large cities and luxury accommodations. Please review OSAC's Honduras-specific webpage for proprietary analytic reports, Consular Messages, and contact information. The U.S. Embassy estimates at least 30,000 U.S. citizens reside in Honduras. On September 16, the cabinet approved an executive decree to create a General Directorate of Information and Press under the Ministry of Strategic Planning. The law permits workers in public health care, social security, staple food production, and public utilities (municipal sanitation, water, electricity, and telecommunications) to strike if they continue to provide basic services. There were numerous reports of government corruption. According to CONAPREV, the system was designed for approximately 13,000 inmates. Counterfeit medicines are available inpulperas (private home-operated convenience stores), but have also been reported inFarmacias del Ahorro. -threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.

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