Honduras: Authorities Reports Historic Drop in Homicide Rate

Hondurean Forces, Dec 2024 Photo: @USIP

December 13, 2024 Hour: 9:59 pm

Honduran President Xiomara Castro celebrated a historic decrease in the country’s homicide rate on Friday, attributing the decline to her government’s comprehensive crime-fighting strategies. The announcement came during a ceremony honoring police officers for their contributions to national security.

“My government and the National Council of Defense and Security approved the National Plan for Crime Solution, and today I want to congratulate the Minister of Security and the National Police for achieving a historic decrease in homicide rates in Honduras,” President Castro stated.

The president’s comments followed a ceremony promoting 254 police officers and recognizing others for their achievements in combating crime. She praised the National Police and Armed Forces for delivering “decisive blows” against drug trafficking, highlighting significant seizures of narcotics and the destruction of drug plantations and labs. This, she claimed, represents a substantial improvement over the previous administration’s handling of the issue.

Security Minister Héctor Gustavo Sánchez echoed the president’s sentiments, emphasizing progress in combating organized crime, gangs (maras), and drug trafficking. He reported that Honduras is on track to end the year with the lowest homicide rate in two decades, representing a reduction of nearly eight points in the homicide rate.

He further noted that 65 of the country’s 298 municipalities (22%) have reported no violent incidents. Minister Sánchez also highlighted a 46% decrease in femicides, attributed to a comprehensive prevention and control strategy. He cited impressive figures including over 26 tons of cocaine seized, more than 11 million coca plants destroyed, and over 15,000 firearms removed from circulation.

These figures align with data released earlier this week by the Violence Observatory of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). The Observatory projects a homicide rate of 27 per 100,000 inhabitants for 2024, a significant drop from 34.5 in 2023. They also anticipate a femicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 women, a 3.8-point decrease from the previous year. The significant reductions in both homicide and femicide rates represent a major success for the Castro administration’s security initiatives.