Global Courant
San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
The tragic event in which 13 people lost their lives in a pool hall in Choloma last Saturday became the straw that broke the camel’s back. Faced with the wave of violence, the Honduran authorities established new measures in an improvised attempt and under public pressure to restore order and guarantee citizen security.
This event once again highlights the need for a comprehensive review of security policies and a rethinking of the strategies employed.
As of yesterday, Sunday from 9:00 pm to 4:00 am, a “special” curfew in Choloma, in a time of 15 extendable days. The same measure will be from July 4 for San Pedro Sula, to put a stop to gangs and organized crime (drug traffickers).
Police sources detailed this means of communication that citizens must remain in their homes during the curfew, except for emergency exceptions.
People who work night hours such as maquilas or restaurants must be inside in the meantime, failing that, arriving hours before or leaving time after what is allowed to avoid being arrested for 24 hours. Other establishments such as bars, canteens and the like will have to close operations during the curfew hours.
This came into operation after President Xiomara Castro launched Operation Padlock Valle de Sula within the security plan that she has called Solution Against Crime and the State of Exception, which she had already implemented since November. The operation is directed by the Minister of Security, Gustavo Sánchez, who has the support of senior military and police officers.
In a press conference yesterday, representatives of the National and Military Police did not rule out that the same thing would later be applied throughout the Sula Valley.
Among the new actions are the inclusion of another 1,000 police officers in the neighborhoods and neighborhoods, more patrols, mobile and fixed checkpoints, saturations and raids in homes or crowded places, as well as searches and arrests.
They also indicated that they will propose to the National Congress to define mareros and gang members as terrorists. In addition, a reward of 800,000 lempiras (about $32,390) was offered for those who facilitate the capture of murderers of recent massacres in Choloma and San Pedro Sula.
The multiple homicide of Choloma was added, among other grotesque events, to that of last Tuesday when 46 women died in a brawl and fire in the women’s prison also known as the National Women’s Penitentiary for Social Adaptation (Pnfas) in Támara, in the capital honduran
These recent tragedies raise questions, since they occur in the midst of a Exception status implemented since December 16, 2022 to strengthen public security and above all to combat the exponential growth of extortion.
voids
Today marks 193 days, equivalent to almost seven months, since the Secretary of Security issued a Exception status before the exponential growth of extortion and other incidents; however, despite efforts and resources invested in this measure, the results have been short.
According to data compiled up to mid-June by LA PRENSA Premium, the number of arrests for this crime is surprisingly low in relation to the magnitude of the problem.
Through analysis, it was identified that, in effect, after last December arrests increased nationwide, with small variations between one month and another; however, 2,051 of these were accused of drug trafficking, followed by illegal possession of weapons with 1,288 cases and 321 for robbery.
It was found that of the nearly 4,500 detainees throughout the country, mainly in Francisco Morazán, Cortés and El Paraíso, only a few 211 extortion was attributed to them as a crime.
Related: Honduras extends the state of exception until July 5
The figures call into question the effectiveness of state security teams, since 3,935 detainees were recorded in files as not belonging to a specific criminal structure, yes 301 of them were affiliated with the Mara Salvatrucha, 214 from the 18 Gang and the rest to other organizations with less territorial presence.
A report from the Public Ministry (PM) details that between December 16, 2022 and June of this year, 5,478 people were accused and prosecuted, the majority for drug trafficking, but hardly any. 62 was for extortionmeans that 149 of those sent by the Police were not credited for such a cause.
For decades it has been known that maras and gangs are behind the extortion problem, but ironically only one member of the 18 Gang appears in the files processed by the Prosecutor’s Office under the state of emergency, the others are from various trades: mechanic; Barber; merchants; bartender; farmer; cabbie; Housewives; solar edger; Shoemaker; sales assistant; car painter; call center receptionist; stylist and security guard.
The numbers speak for themselves, that is why the criminologist hermann vogelsang says that this measure was failed from the beginning. “They (gangs) have everything under control, they know who is coming and going, they are well advised and they use better strategies than the Police themselves. They did the state of exception at point blank range due to pressure on the President, but it has not worked, ”he said. Vogelsang insists that the mechanism must continue, but only if the strategies are changed.
Endemic
Despite the fact that extortion was the tip of the “iceberg” that led to the state of emergency in the country, the fight against this scourge has obviously been futile, since organizations continue without restraint to gain millions of lempiras with the business of “extortion tax.” war”.
This is confirmed by transport leaders in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, who confided to this newspaper that since the announcement of the measure, rather, new extortionist groups have emerged and those who already demanded continue to do so on the different routes. They agreed that since then they have not stopped murders in the area, burning of units and stoppages.
worsens
The extensive logistical resources, budget and additional powers have not been able to get the Police to reach positive numbers in terms of public safety and crime control.
Official figures indicate that from December 16, 2022, when the Government adopted Executive Decree PCM-29-2022, through which it was determined to suspend various constitutional guarantees, until June 12 of this year, there were 1,584 homicides, not counting the more than 130 murders perpetrated in the last 14 days.
Police authorities reported 1,584 homicides between December 16, 2022 and June 12 of this year.
January, February and May had been the most violent months during the measure’s validity. Although most of the daytime and nighttime operations have been concentrated in the cities, areas such as the Central District, San Pedro Sula, Tocoa and Choloma report high rates of violence.
Men are more the victims of crime, with 1,411 deaths, but the cases of women continue to increase in the middle of the year, with 170 events, compared to 306 deaths recorded in all of 2022.
Nelson Castanedadirector of Security and Justice of the Association for a More Just Society (ASJ), comments that although it is true, the budget of entities such as the Anti-Maras and Gangs Against Organized Crime Police Department (Dipamco) increased, there are axes that have not been met .
“We expected a reduction in extortion or other crimes in June, but in the end we project that we will close with a violent year. A comprehensive plan for institutions is urgently needed, put 911 to work, strengthen investigative units, courts and the Public Ministry,” urged the member of civil society.
External organizations agree that impunity surrounds 95% of cases due to lack of investigation and strategies. The numbers counted by authorities do not stray from this version, since during the state of emergency, of the total homicides, 750 cases are under investigation and in 447 events it was concluded that it was due to personal enmities.
Investigations maintain that day laborers, farmers and farmers are the first victims, but in close to 500 violent deaths the data is not even recorded. This situation has generated doubts, criticism, and it is questioned whether the state of emergency was the appropriate response to face the escalation of violence that is devastating the country.
Conadeh report
1. Around 111 complaints were filed in 17 departments of the country against members of the National Police, whose dependency, direction or unit it was not possible to identify by the complainant. There were 60 complaints against elements of Dipampco and another 22 against military .
2. The complaints were associated with disproportionate use of force during arrests, intimidation and threats during raids, surveillance outside their homes, shots fired into the air outside their establishments, imprecision by the authorities when requesting them, prohibition of family members from entering where the arrested.
3. Among the important findings revealed by the National Human Rights Commissioner (Conadeh) are insufficient arguments to verify the proportionality and appropriateness of the measure and there are serious shortcomings in the registration of information on detainees, since of 505 people their identity was not recorded .
