Rodgers, muggah, and stevenson gangs of central america iii. Armed groups seeking to control territory use violence for different purposes, including competing against rivals, coercing residents and state officials, and. San pedro sula, honduras is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. E information on the structure and hierarchy of main gangs. This report was undertaken in support of the world bank funded safer municipalities project, which aims to sup port honduras by improving the capacity of national, municipal and community actors for violence prevention. In gang ridden honduras, growing old is a privilege, not a right. Crime, violence, and communitybased prevention in honduras.
The olancho department is one of the most violent areas in honduras. In honduras, a country with one of the highest homicide rates in the world, the intensity of violence rivals many civil wars. Gangs and transnational criminal networks prey on communities, often. In a context of poverty and limited government services including police, education, health, and others, gangs are likely to form. Human rights in honduras by andrea degaetani honduras history of human rights violations is rooted in a political culture of militarization. While the problems are real, the government and the press find it more expedient to target the gangs and street children for virtually all the rampant violence in the society.
Honduras has a serious problem with international gangs, harsh anti gang legislation, and also emphasizes law enforcement approaches. Central american gangrelated asylum a resou r ce guide ma y 2008. Violence based on gender identity or sexual orientation is a major problem in honduras. By may 4, 2019 the times spent weeks with a group of young men as they fought for their lives in honduras. Crime in honduras concerns how in recent years honduras has experienced very high levels of violence and criminality. Central american gang related asylum a resou r ce guide ma y 2008. Caught up in the cycle of violence, corruption and poverty, young people in honduras are literally. He stated that gang members had not threatened or harmed him but that they had killed three of his relatives. The violence is carried out by transnational criminal organizations. It was also during this time that the united states used the country as a base for. Seeking asylum from gangbased violence in central america. Guatemala, which shares a border with mexico, is also an inevitable transit point for migrants traveling by land from other central american nations toward the united states. Jul 11, 2011 the project gunrunner case is now pointing towards possible atf sales of weapons bound for honduras, including a reported 1,000 guns to members of the ruthless ms gang.
Within this context, one of the most fundamental elements of gangs. The country last held national and local elections in november 2017. What many may not know is that much of hondurass crime is due to gang violence. Information on the structure and hierarchy of main gangs. Establishing eligibility for asylum after matter of seg alexandra grayner after the board of immigration appeals denied asylum to three siblings fleeing forced gang recruitment in matter of seg, asylum claims based on forced gang. Eligibility guidelines for assessing the international. Boerman, an expert on gangs in honduras, to testify. There is considerable risk from civil unrest in tegucigalpa. Unicefsupported study sheds light on gangs in honduras. Political, economic, religious, and ethnic violence.
It also discusses how key elements of the inas definition of refugee have been construed and applied in gang related asylum cases. Honduras are clearly experiencing much greater levels of gang violence than. Thus, organizations and local leaders are combating gang violence in honduras by helping young people find and make their own families. Jul 05, 2014 in honduras, gangs tell boys to join or be killed a large proportion of young people showing up at the southern u. Since 1995, he has presented on a range of issues related to gangs and organized criminal activity at approximately 150 events throughout the u. Since february 2005, more than 1,374 members of the violent mara salvatrucha ms. A crackdown on protests following the november 2017 national. Honduras, meanwhile, has become one of the poorest, most unequal and indebted.
Homicide violence reached a peak in 2012 with an average of 20 homicides a day. It has modestly applied ngo and government prevention and intervention approaches. Honduras 2019 human rights report executive summary honduras is a constitutional, multiparty republic. In both countries, the gang has achieved new levels of power and so. It also discusses how key elements of the inas definition of refugee have been construed and applied in gangrelated asylum cases. In june, several united nations agencies working in honduras urged the government to investigate killings of lgbti activists and noted that. Ms and mara 18 mara salvatrucha ms is considered to be the fastest growing, most violent, and least understood street gang in the united states, if not the world. Land of gangs and violence criminal gangs pose an existential threat to state and society in honduras. Note that in honduras, the b18 gang is also referred to as the 18th. Gangs drive hondurans from their homes and land honduras. Since franciscos death, mother has increased her financial contributions to.
In 2014, another cousin and that cousins father, who both worked in a mayors office in honduras, were. Unicef regional director hears the concerns of a gathering of youth in honduras. Enabled by the participatory learning and action pla qualitative methodology. Enabled by the participatory learning and action pla qualitative methodology, the institute of criminal justice and security icjs research team was able, through. Pdf honduras innvation in the fight against gangs and. The government held gang members responsible for most social violence and public insecurity. Many of these gangs are growing and imposing an ideology of violence, which is contrary to. The first chapter examines the situation of crime, gangs.
In gangridden honduras, growing old is a privilege, not a right caught up in the cycle of violence, corruption and poverty, young people in honduras are literally fighting for survival. Analysis of the policies of the hernandez administration in honduras, to address the severe challenges confronting the country from narcotrafficking and gangs, with policy recommendations for how the u. A child sits outside her home in san pedro sula, honduras. Nov 12, 2010 three young people are murdered every day in honduras. All they had was a few blocks in one of the worlds deadliest cities. The two largest gangs in honduras are the ms and the barrio 18.
A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. When his body was discovered, his face was disfigured and his eyes were missing. Crime fueled by police and gangs in honduras causing children. If they dont have this option she has to become the woman of the gang member, and she could be killed. Transnational gangs like ms and 18th street are extremely violent and routinely make money by extorting citizens. Honduras has a serious problem with international gangs, harsh antigang legislation, and also emphasizes law enforcement. Homophobic violence is a major problem in honduras. Gangs in honduras usaid insight crime november 2015.
In addition to violence, transnational gangs have extorted legitimate businesses run by central american immigrants, and are known to run illegal businesses such as prostitution and. Poverty, unemployment, violence drive guatemalan emigration. The program may be a spinoff or in some way related to operation castaway, and in reports it sounds remarkably similar to operation fast and furious. From the publisher of interpreter releases riefingsl. Nij fy 19 research and evaluation on gangs and gang violence. Clean water improves health and education for children in cerritos ii, honduras. Pages in category gangs in honduras the following 3 pages are in this category, out of 3 total. Gang violence 20 pdf congressional research service gangs in central america feb. Mara salvatrucha ms and their violent world pageiii abstract. Mara salvatrucha or ms and barrio dieciocho or 18th street gang.
Organized criminal violence and territorial control. In 2012, gang members killed one of his cousins as the cousin was leaving a bar because of jealousy over a woman. Central americas turbulent northern triangle council on. Voters elected juan orlando hernandez of the national party as president for a fouryear term beginning january 2018. Honduras 2018 human rights report executive summary honduras is a constitutional, multiparty republic. The major gangs operating in central america with ties to the united states are the 18th street gang also known as m18, and their main rival, the mara salvatrucha ms. Within central america, family is recognized as the most prominent and visible social institution. Gangs in central america congressional research service summary the mara salvatrucha ms and its main rival, the 18th street gang, continue to undermine citizen security and subvert government authority in parts of central america. Sources indicate that the main gangs operating in honduras are mara salvatrucha ms and. Gangs play a key role in the high rates of violence in the country. Honduras decided in late 2018, based on reciprocity, to institute the same reporting requirement.
Miller says the boys he knows as young as 11 arent usually recruited by gangs, but they still dont always escape the harassments. Legal overview congressional research service 2 the report provides an overview of the basis for asylum in u. Cities such as san pedro sula and the tegucigalpa have registered homicide rates among the highest in the world. Multiple reports indicate that women in honduras are being terrorised for hair color and clothing that sets them out as members of notorious rival gangs. Fall 2012 gang and cartel violence 33 individuals came into effect10 the number of deportations drastically increased. Boerman opined that without husbands to protect them in honduras s patriarchal society, unmarried women are especially vulnerable to gang attack, and that barrio 18 targeted alvarez lagos because of her status as an unprotected female. May 04, 2019 the times spent weeks with a group of young men as they fought for their lives in honduras. Gangs in central america summary the 110 th congress maintains a strong interest in the effects of crime and gang violence in central america, and its spillover effects on the united states.
The yale journal of international law online gang and. Honduras 3 country reports on human rights practices for 2018 united states department of state bureau of democracy, human rights and labor there continued to be reports of violence related to land conflicts and criminal activity in the bajo aguan region, but the overall level of violence in the area was far below its 2012 peak. Its scope and influence on crime in honduras are hard to verify. Violence in honduras association for a more just society. Gangs in honduras pose a real threat to national security. One teenager skateboards with friends he considers brothers.
The violence observatory of the autonomous university of honduras unah reported that as of june, 87 individuals working in the transportation sector, including taxi, bus, motorcycle taxi, and private company drivers, had been killed by criminal gangs. Honduras is central americaos secondpoorest country and has one of the worldos highest homicide rates. With this manual, drawing on our expertise on gangs in central america, we. A 2015 study by the united states agency for international development usaid reported on the two major gangs in hondurasbarrio 18 and ms. Gangs, youth violence and public policy it is clear that the public debates around gangs and youth violence are viewed and projected through the lens of race and ethnicity. By james fredrick in tegucigalpa, honduras 08 september 2017. Many of these gangs are growing and imposing an ideology of violence, which is contrary to democratic values and which violates human rights. Unicefsupported programme aims to rehabilitate exgang members in honduras. Honduras cocaine bust indicates gangs and smugglers changing.
Some of the contributors to honduras violence impunity 80% of homicide cases are not investigated, while 96% never reach any sort of judicial resolution1 there is a backlog of more than 180,000 cases in the honduran courts2 drugs. Yet violent crime varies across cities and neighborhoods. In honduras marginalized urban neighborhoods, gangs provide an opportunity for young people to find identity and a source of income. In general, nij is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements. Despite a downward trend in recent years, the murder rate remains among the highest in the world. This paper follows the beginnings of one of the most notorious transnational street gangs in existence today. In june 2012, after a dea agent killed a suspect in honduras, it was confirmed that the us government has been running covert operations in the olancho area to combat drug trafficking. Race and violent crime in the press and rethinking gangs. Violence of the national autonomous university of honduras. Violence against children and youth in honduras kids in need of. Sep 08, 2017 as street gangs prey on hondurans, thousands of property owners are forced to leave their homes and land behind. Status of gangs in honduras in spanish pdf field diary. The august riots have thrown this into stark contrast.
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