Honduras Implements Tough Measures to Combat Gang Violence

In a televised address, President Xiomara Castro of Honduras announced significant measures to combat organized crime, spurred by public outcry over escalating violence. These measures include constructing a 20,000-capacity “megaprison” and introducing “terrorist” designations for gang members, alongside collective trials. The plan aims to address crimes such as contract killings, drug and firearm trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and money laundering. Castro emphasized the urgent deployment of the armed forces and police in high-crime areas. Additionally, reforms to the penal code are being sought to classify specific gang-related crimes as acts of terrorism. This initiative mirrors similar tactics used in El Salvador, which have been controversial but popular. Honduras has been under a state of emergency since December 2022 due to rising gang-related crime, with a homicide rate significantly above the global average. However, Amnesty International warns that such heavy-handed measures could lead to increased abuses and endanger the general population.