Honduras Emulating El Salvador with Gang Crackdown, Massive 20,000-Capacity Prison

Much like El Salvador, Honduras is also having trouble with violent street gangs like MS-13 and Barrio, 18 and the Honduran government is now emulating its neighbor as it too is implanting its own massive gang crackdown, as well as building its own mega prison with a capacity of around 20,000 inmates.

Honduras President Xiomara Castro unveiled her plans during a nationally televised address, which include a series of emergency measures such as plans to strengthen the military's role in fighting organized crime, prosecute drug traffickers as terrorists, and build new facilities to ease overcrowding.

The left-leaning Castro's plan emulates the policies of the right-leaning El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, whose sweeping crackdown against gangs that also include MS-13 and Barrio 18 has turned El Salvador's crime rates from one of the world's worst to one of the world's safest.

Among Castro's attempted emulation of Bukele is his mega-prison that could house 40,000 inmates, according to the Associated Press. From her plans, Castro's mega prison sounds smaller but it could help ease the congestion in Honduras' prison system.

Castro stated in her televised address that the security forces of Honduras must "urgently carry out interventions" in all parts of the country now witnessing "the highest rates of gang violence, drug trafficking, money laundering," and other crimes.

As for the plans for the Honduran Mega-Prison, authorities in the country are planning to construct it immediately and send dangerous gang members there. It would be located near the rural province of Olancho, in the country's east, as revealed by Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Roosevelt Hernández.

Honduras Congress To Reform Penal Code To Escalate El Salvador-Style Gang Crackdown

To help give more leeway to authorities for the gang crackdown, Castro added that "the Honduran Congress must reform the penal code" to address problems in "drug traffickers and members of criminal gangs who commit specific crimes."

She added that gang members will also be designated as "terrorists" and face collective trials, according to Reuters, and that operations will be launched to locate and destroy plantations growing marijuana and coca, the main ingredient to cocaine.

In addition, Honduras National Police Force Chief Hector Gustavo Sanchez stated that a list of "intellectual authors, leaders, and gang members" has already been distributed so their immediate arrest could be made.

What Are Honduras' Other Gang Crackdown Plans?

The gang crackdown in Honduras had already started and has already been going on for some time now and has rapidly congested the country's prison system, leading to the mega prison announcement. However, President Castro has other plans in place.

The secretaries for Honduras' Defense and Security departments, along with the Armed Forces and the Military Police will "immediately plan and execute interventions in municipalities with the highest incidence of major gang-related crimes, such as assassination, drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, arms trafficking, and money laundering," according to Jurist News.

In addition, a national curfew will be established. The government will also give more power to the Armed Forces to intervene in security matters to deal with one of the largest homicide rates in Latin America, which is saying something.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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