The Honduran government has declared a state of exception suspending some freedoms in to order combat gang violence in the capital of Tegucigalpa and the northern city of San Pedro Sula. President Xiomara Castro justified the action as powerful gangs like Barrio 18 and MS-13 pose a “threat to life and property” in both cities. The state of exception impacts the constitutional rights of association, free movement, searches and arrests. It is scheduled to last for one month but longer if necessary. Security analyst Raúl Pineda Alvarado said El Salvador has repeatedly imposed the same measure resulting in a sharp decrease in homicides, however noting the country’s enforcement has been “authoritarian.”
