Honduras has THE highest murder rate in the world.
According to the UN’s most recent data, almost 8 thousand people per year are murdered
there, amounting to about 20 homicides per DAY on average..
So what’s going on?
Why is Honduras so dangerous?
Well, drug violence has been a problem for a long time in Honduras and neighboring nations.
But with recent political instability stemming from a 2009 state coup, drug-based gang warfare
has gotten out of control.
“Mara Salvatrucha” and “Calle 18” are the largest and most violent of the drug
gangs.
These gangs obtain their wealth and power from the cocaine trade.
The US State Department estimates that 80% of the cocaine destined for the US passes
through Honduras.
However, the Honduran President has largely blamed the US for the current drug violence.
He says that because the US consumes the largest amounts of drugs in the world, the US is “the
root of the problem” .
Gangs also remain strong because of poverty and police corruption in Honduras.
World Bank estimates that about 60% of Hondurans live below the poverty line.
And education quality remains low.
Reports indicated that shootings and kidnappings are no longer just relegated to the poorer
areas, as they were in the past.
They are now affecting much of the upper and middle classes, as well as tourist areas in
the central cities.
This has led the US to issue a recent travel warning about Honduras, citing “critically
high” levels of crime and violence.
Additionally, the police force is reportedly corrupt and victims of gang violence themselves.
It’s estimated that there have been over one thousand accusations of police corruption
logged since 2012, and none have been investigated.
More recently, a scandal within the police force ended in the national police chief being
fired over human rights abuses, including accusations of running a “death squad”.
The consequences of violence in Honduras have greatly affected the nation’s children.
For some who DO escape the criminal life, threats of violence have driven a large number
of youths outside the country.
Rates of unattended children arriving at the US border from Honduras have skyrocketed,
partially contributing to the US’s current “immigration crisis”.
As a result of the endemic violence, President Obama has considered giving Honduran children
refugee status, although no decision has yet been made.
To learn more about how the United States is trying to deal with such a high number
of child immigrants, check out our video here.
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