In case you haven’t checked our map to see where we are, we entered Honduras about two weeks ago. We left the van in Guatemala, and took a private vehicle to the ferry port in La Ceiba. From there we quickly acquired some ferry tickets, and went to the beautiful Island of Roatan. It's perfect here. There’s no surprise why it’s the number one Cruise destination in Central America. With over 1 million visitors a year, from cruise ships alone. It makes you forget your in Honduras.
Sadly, many people here see crime as their only option. Or they leave and begin the long trek for the Unites States. Honduras is considered the murder capital of the world. San Pedro Sula, the country’s second largest city after Tegucigalpa, has a homicide rate of 169 per 100,000 people and was named the world's most violent city for a second year in a row. That’s six times as bad as Chicago, and worse then Baghdad, Iraq.
On average, 19 murders are reported each day in this coffee-exporting nation, mostly at the hands of vicious gangs and drug cartels who operate freely in an area of lawlessness, poverty and a decaying justice system. It was reported last year that Honduras is saddled with one of Central America’s weakest economies, where nearly 70 per cent of the population live in poverty. Gunmen have taken control of slums and villages, well aware that the police are ineffective and corrupt.
A disturbing investigation last month found that rogue police death squads are operating across Honduras, taking the law into their own hands and acting as judge, jury and executioner. Police have long been accused of operating more like assassins than law enforcement officers in Honduras, but few cases ever have been investigated.
Certainly, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala must do more themselves to reduce this bloodshed. But with thousands of their young citizens now running to the US for help, it's worth considering whether the default solution—deportation—stands any chance of solving the larger problem.
Sadly, many people here see crime as their only option. Or they leave and begin the long trek for the Unites States. Honduras is considered the murder capital of the world. San Pedro Sula, the country’s second largest city after Tegucigalpa, has a homicide rate of 169 per 100,000 people and was named the world's most violent city for a second year in a row. That’s six times as bad as Chicago, and worse then Baghdad, Iraq.
On average, 19 murders are reported each day in this coffee-exporting nation, mostly at the hands of vicious gangs and drug cartels who operate freely in an area of lawlessness, poverty and a decaying justice system. It was reported last year that Honduras is saddled with one of Central America’s weakest economies, where nearly 70 per cent of the population live in poverty. Gunmen have taken control of slums and villages, well aware that the police are ineffective and corrupt.
A disturbing investigation last month found that rogue police death squads are operating across Honduras, taking the law into their own hands and acting as judge, jury and executioner. Police have long been accused of operating more like assassins than law enforcement officers in Honduras, but few cases ever have been investigated.
Certainly, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala must do more themselves to reduce this bloodshed. But with thousands of their young citizens now running to the US for help, it's worth considering whether the default solution—deportation—stands any chance of solving the larger problem.