Great News from Honduras!

Perhaps the biggest problem that Honduras has with its online reputation is the lack of GOOD news. But alas, this week we had some outstanding news featured in different international media channels. Yet, we seem to think that the world will scoop it up and read it. We just do not follow up on any great news from Honduras! Unfortunately, bad news spreads like a wildfire. Good news seems to die oh so soon!  Thus, I will try to propagate what I think is some great news from Honduras!

Over the last decade, the dominating news about Honduras has focused on the crime, reported coups and political unrest. This week, BBC Spanish edition featured news on the most dangerous cities in the World. Perhaps the single most important metric in their methodology is the homicide rate. Thus, danger is equal to your chance of getting murdered, not mugged or raped, or being a victim of any other crime.

MSN news also published a story that highlights about the same news release. I must accept that the two largest cities in Honduras are still on the list. Yet the improvement has been dramatic. For years, San Pedro Sula earned the title of the “Murder Capital of the World”. At one point it had over 110 homicides per 100,000 persons. This year, the homicide rate has fallen to just over 51 homicides per 100,000 persons. This means that it has dropped from the number 3 most violent city in the World to number 26!

Tegucigalpa has dropped to number 35! This means that the efforts led by the Hernandez administration during his first term, which ended last January, have yielded good results! Of course, the numbers are still high, and we all would love to see Honduras off the list. If we continue along the same path, we may well succeed at that by next year!

Many believe that organized crime promotes violence during political protests.  The gangs that once operated in Honduras are challenged by the police and military authority. For obvious reasons, they are against the current government administration of President Hernandez. They have a vested interest in favor of the opposition. These gangs are responsible for the vandal attack against the Marriott Hotel last January.

It is important to note that the numbers of foreigners murdered in Honduras are almost zero. As a general rule, tourists and foreigners are not targets of crime. A bit of common sense can go a long way in keeping you safe anywhere! Although Honduras is not as safe as it once was, the actions are proof that steps have been taken to take control of security. This means that Honduras is on the right track. Every law abiding Honduran, regardless of political affiliation should be proud of this fact!