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. The Violence Observatory reported 55 killings of women from March 15 to June 6, compared with 102 for the same period in 2019. Authorities generally respected these rights. Below this are an appeals court, first instance trial courts for criminal and civil cases, and municipal and district-level justices of the peace. Public-sector unions expressed concern about some officials refusing to honor bargaining agreements and firing union leaders. The law establishes an independent and impartial judiciary in civil matters, including access to a court to seek damages for human rights violations. A Texas man is speaking out about his experience following an attempted carjacking where two suspects, one of them armed, followed him home into his garage and tried to steal his car at gunpoint but ended up "bamboozled" and empty-handed. In 2021, almost 39 homicides were committed per 100,000 inhabitants in Honduras. In most prisons only inmates who purchased bottled water or had water filters in their cells had access to potable water. The STSS approved 43 such authorizations through September. Honduras recorded 3,496 murders in 2020. NGOs continued to criticize the government prohibition on emergency contraception, including for survivors of sexual violence, although the government did provide victims of sexual violence access to other health care services. Recent Elections: In December 2017 Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party was declared the winner in the November elections. The web site offers its visitors the latest in safety and security-related information, public announcements, warden messages, travel advisories, significant anniversary dates, terrorist groups profiles, country crime and safety reports, special topic reports, foreign press reports, and much more. 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. Public-sector trade unionists raised concerns about government interference in trade union activities, including its suspension or ignoring of collective agreements and its dismissals of union members and leaders. On July 10, unidentified assailants shot and killed transgender activist Scarleth Campbell in Tegucigalpa. The council presented 11 reports in a series called, Corruption in the Times of COVID-19. Credible observers noted problems in trial procedures, such as a lack of admissible evidence, judicial corruption, widespread public distrust of the legal system, witness intimidation, and an ineffective witness protection program. The STSS is responsible for enforcing the national minimum wage, hours of work, and occupational health and safety law, but it did so inconsistently and ineffectively. The law provides for the right to a fair and public trial; however, the judiciary did not always enforce this right. Farmers markets and local food networks aren't new to Minnesota. The law requires individuals and companies that employ more than 20 school-age children at their facilities to provide a location for a school. No cases were reported during the year. As of September no new trial date had been set. According to the Global Cybercrime Report, the United States reached the prominent third-best position with a Cyber-Safety Score of 8.73. The police will make their situation more difficult. Freedom of Expression, Including for the Press, b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association, e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons, Section 3. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts. Forced labor occurred in street vending, domestic service, the transport of drugs and other illicit goods, other criminal activity, and the informal sector. 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, including homicide (see section 6, Children). In-country Movement: Under the national curfew from March 16, the government limited freedom of movement by allowing individuals to move outside their homes one day every two weeks. The Honduran National Police maintain internal security and report to the Secretariat of Security. In January 2020, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Honduran government failed to reach an agreement to renew the mandate of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in . That puts Roatan/Honduras a few points ahead of the U.S. Iceland holds the number one rated position and Afghanistan holds last place, ranked at 163. Because labor inspectors continued to be concentrated in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, full labor inspections and follow-up visits to confirm compliance were far less frequent in other parts of the country. Arbitrary Arrest: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government instituted a national curfew, suspending constitutional provisions and limiting the free movement of individuals. The constitution prohibits practicing clergy from running for office or participating in political campaigns. The combined homicide rate per 100 thousand population remains low, with steep declines in some countries and remaining stable in others. 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. Q: What happened to the original stars of "The Wild Wild West"? Home. Members of the security forces committed some abuses. The Secretariat of Human Rights noted an exponential increase in gender-based violence and domestic violence during the national curfew. Peace Brigades International (PBI) reported more than 34,000 persons were detained for violating the curfew. By law all minors between the ages of 14 and 18 in most industries must receive special permission from the STSS to work, and the STSS must perform a home study to verify that there is an economic need for the child to work and that the child not work outside the country or in hazardous conditions, including in offshore fishing. The government did not effectively enforce the law. The Public Ministry also has the Special Prosecutors Office for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Social Communicators, and Justice Officials. CONAPREV reported every prison had a functioning health clinic with at least one medical professional, but basic medical supplies and medicines were in short supply throughout the prison system. 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 IACHR conducted its visit between July 30 and August 3, 2018. On average, children living in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are 10 times more likely to be killed than a child who lives in the United States. 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. The director of the national disaster management agency, Gabriel Rubi, was removed from his position in April. Honduras is one of the murder capitals of the world. Both suspects were alleged members of a criminal organization involved in drug trafficking. There was only limited support for persons with mental illnesses or disabilities. The appeals court ruled the cases of former agriculture minister Jacobo Regalado and three members of his staff should proceed to trial. Although the Interinstitutional Security Force reports to the National Security and Defense Council, it plays a coordinating role and did not exercise broad command and control functions over other security forces except during interagency operations involving those forces. is a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes the development of international air navigation safety and security . The vast majority of children who worked did so without STSS permits. Many prisons lacked sufficient security personnel. Police later arrested the guard accused of killing Alvarez. Low salaries and a lack of internal controls rendered judicial officials susceptible to bribery, although the Supreme Court significantly raised salaries during the year and made improvements in transparency. The Public Ministry reported five such cases undergoing trial, with four cases in the sentencing phase of trial. On July 1, unknown assailants on a motorcycle shot and killed television journalist German Vallecillo and cameraman Jorge Posas in La Ceiba. Indigenous communities continued to report threats and acts of violence against them and against community and environmental activists. You have questions. 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. Even so, many prisoners remained in custody after completing their full sentences, and sometimes even after an acquittal, because officials failed to process their releases expeditiously. Josue Alvarado was assigned to Task Force Maya Chorti. 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. 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. Since 2020, the number of Hondurans in need of humanitarian assistance has more than doubled, while food insecurity has increased due to consecutive climate shocks, rising food prices and the economic impacts of COVID-19. There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events. 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. The Public Ministry is responsible for prosecuting violations. As of September inspectors conducted 4,102 total inspections, including 268 unannounced inspections, compared with 14,039 total inspections for the same time period in 2019. There were several reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. The Public Ministrys Office of the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights handled cases involving charges of human rights abuses by government officials. The law provides citizens the right to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on nearly universal and equal suffrage. Honduras With a crime index of 74.54, Honduras ranks fifth in the world in terms of crime rate.