Financial Crime World

Honduras Urged to Take Action Against Corruption Amid Widespread Rights Abuses

Background

Tegucigalpa - Honduras is facing a pervasive problem of corruption that erodes human rights across the country. In a briefing paper, Human Rights Watch urged the government to take immediate steps to combat corruption.

The Need for Action

Corruption has become an extremely concerning issue in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ 2019 report. Honduras ranked 157th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2022 Corruption Perception Index, making it one of the most corrupt countries in the region.

The Impact of Corruption

Systemic corruption can have severe consequences, including:

  • Depriving governments of funds to invest in essential services such as healthcare, education, clean water, and housing
  • Undermining judicial independence, freedom of expression, and public accountability
  • Linking to human rights abuses

Human Rights Watch reviewed 14 corruption investigations in Honduras and found strong links to human rights abuses in 12 of them.

The Solution: A UN-Backed Commission

President Xiomara Castro signed a memorandum with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in December 2022 to create a UN-backed commission, the Comisión Internacional contra la Corrupción e Impunidad en Honduras (CICIH). This presents an opportunity for lasting progress.

Requirements for Success

For the commission to succeed, it must be:

  • Autonomous and independent
  • Have a broad mandate to investigate and prosecute individual corruption cases
  • Have authority to protect its Honduran and international staff from retaliation

Call to Action

Human Rights Watch is urging President Castro and Secretary-General Guterres to empower the international commission to propose legislative reforms strengthening the rule of law and fight against corruption.

Quote

“If Honduras sets it up for success, the international commission could provide a regional model for fighting a scourge that undermines people’s rights and their ability to lead their daily lives in dignity throughout Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “President Castro and Secretary-General Guterres, with the support of the international community, have an opportunity to show that democracy and the rule of law can deliver.”