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Overview of Citizen security
Widespread crime and violence are major sources of unrest in Latin America, and the current situation in Honduras reflects this reality. According to a study by the United Nations in 2005, Hondurans perceive violence as the most important problem in the country, after poverty and unemployment. This study also showed that the homicide rate in Honduras in 2005 was 37 per hundred thousand inhabitants, almost twice the average rate in Latin America. In particular, violence against women and children is alarming. In 2006, more than 400 youths lost their lives, and in 2007, 200 women and children were killed. In light of this context, thousands of Hondurans united in 2008 in the city of San Pedro Sula to protest against the rise in violence and crime in the "March of Silence" [1].
One of the biggest sources of insecurity in Honduras are the maras, or urban gangs composed primarily of young people who are usually involved in violent actions. The Mara Salvatrucha (also called M-13 or MS) is a network of violent gang that originated in El Salvador and has spread to many countries in Central America, including Honduras. On December 23, 2004, one of the crimes of the MS-13 that received the most publicity in Central American occurred in Chamelecón, Honduras, when an M-13 gang hijacked a bus and killed 28 intercity passengers, most of whom were women and children. The problem of the maras is also related to the issue of drug trafficking since the gang's activities include the illegal trafficking of drugs, especially between countries in Central America and North America. Therefore, the Honduran authorities have focused on fighting the maras through plans and actions that aim to dismantle these criminal networks. These plans include the National Program for Prevention of Gangs, whose mission is to strengthen the institutions working on the prevention and rehabilitation of citizens who are at risk, such as members of the maras. Currently, there are between 600 and 700 members of these gangs in prison [2].
To address the issue of public safety, the government of Honduras has launched a series of special commissions and programs designed to protect the security of its citizens. For example, in response to the problem of violence against women, the Honduran government created the Plan to Fight Violence against Women, which seeks to develop programs with a gender-focus to promote the health and safety of this sector of the population. According to the United Nations, there have been some improvements in this area, which are likely the outcome of such government programs. In particular, according to the Gender Development Index, the level of equality between men and women has increased from 0.585 in 1991 to 0.640 in 1999 to 0.650 in 2003. The government of Honduras also counts on the support of several local and international organizations that are involved in the protection of public safety. For example, the United Nations Governance Program for Honduras in the area of Security and Justice aims to promote a culture of peace through the strengthening of government institutions and improved access to justice [3].
Today, the issue of citizen security has captured the attention of various sectors of society, in part because overall levels of security have a significant effect on the economic and social development of a country. In a context of insecurity, local governments are forced to spend large portions of their budgets to combat violence and consequently spend less on social programs and economic development (UNDP, 2008). Thus, combating violence has been among the priorities of the current government of Honduras. However, as the great "March of Silence" indicated at the beginning of this year, the Honduran people are still suffering due to crime, violence and lack of security.
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[1] La Prensa Honduras - http://www.radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias/resumen/29562l
[2] Amnistía Internacional, 2008.
[3] UNDP - http://www.undp.un.hn/Gob_Fortalecimiento_SS.htm
Última actualización / Last update: Septiembre 25, 2008