Geneva-Paris-Tegucigalpa, November 7, 2023 – Honduras ranks as the fourth country in the Latin American and Caribbean region with the highest number of murdered human rights defenders. The National Protection System, the entity supposed to ensure the safety and work of those defending human rights in the country, lacks sufficient human and financial resources, putting beneficiaries at risk, as reported by the Observatory (OMCT-FIDH) and ACI-Participa.
Honduras grapples with a pervasive context of inequality, poverty, and lack of opportunities. Since December 2022 to date, the country has been under a state of emergency to curb high crime and violence rates in at least 158 municipalities. However, instead of ensuring the well-being of Hondurans, this measure has placed the population at an increased risk, as emphasized by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, following a visit to the country in May and June 2023. He observed the excessive use of force by security forces and unlawful deaths in detention contexts, as well as in marginalized neighborhoods and sectors, disproportionately affecting youth, women, LGBTIQA+ individuals, and human rights defenders.
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