Citizen insecurity, a product of the growth of criminality and delinquency, has been
one of the country’s critical problems in the last two decades. Honduras, despite
the progressive decrease in homicide rates, continues to be the most violent
country in Central America and the second most violent in Latin America. There is
no doubt that for the government of Xiomara Castro and the National Police, it is
almost imperative to reduce that rate in a regional context in which countries such
as El Salvador, from 103 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015, dropped to
7.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022. In addition, that country has adopted
control measures in prisons, which maintains high levels of acceptance among
citizens. These facts, aside from the impact they have had on the rule of law and
human rights, are desirable for those in power, especially in neighboring countries.
Another imperative aspect is to broaden the view and recognize that violence is
not only about homicides. There are still other indicators that negatively impact the
quality of life: extortion, massacres, and violent deaths of women and femicides that
have created a greater perception of insecurity and fear due to the brutal violence
with which these acts are committed; common crime also affects citizens daily.
In December 2022, fear, and uncertainty about the magnitude of the extortion
phenomenon triggered protests by urban transport workers and entrepreneurs, affected by the threats made by gangs and other criminal gangs. Castro, in response
to the mobilization and demand of the public transport sector and given the serious damages caused by extortion, launched the Integral Plan for the Treatment of Extortion and related crimes, and implemented a state of exception approved by Executive Decree PCM 29-20221.
With the approval of the state of exception, 6 constitutional guarantees were put
on hold for 30 days in the neighborhoods and municipalities which, according to
the National Police, were under siege by the presence of gangs, the main cause
of extortion. The emergency regime includes measures that restrict the freedom
of movement and assembly of the inhabitants; it also allows police to enter homes
to make arrests without a warrant.