Honduras: government choices to curb gang violence

In Honduras, on Sunday, 25 June, President Xiomara Castro declared an overnight curfew in the cities of Choloma and San Pedro Sula, Cortes department, following the killing of at least 24 on Saturday in various incidents. One week earlier, 46 women were killed in a prison riot in Tamara, Francisco Morazan department.

A state of emergency has been in place since December 2022 in 123 of the country’s 298 districts but has failed to quell rising gang-related violence.

On Monday, 26 June, the police announced a new stage of their war on gangs aimed at regaining control of prisons. On the same day, the police recovered high-calibre weapons, grenades and ammunition from various prisons.

Looking ahead, a further intensification of security measures should be expected, with an uptick in violence likely.  In fact, it appears that Honduras might be heading down El Salvador’s path, where many civil liberties were suspended as the government initiated a war on gangs.

There are several Italian companies with international presence operating in Honduras that may be interested in security services. According to the Confindustria website, the main 5 companies are: ACEA (Aguas de San Pedro), ASTALDI, EUROCANTERA, GOLDLAKE, and GRUPPO HENRY MORGAN.