Honduras announces ‘megaprison’ to combat crime surge

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00:00This is a so-called mega-prison. Located in El Salvador, 40,000 inmates are held in this

00:08facility. It's part of President Nayib Bukele's brutal war on gangs. And this week, neighbouring

00:14Honduras announced it would follow suit.

00:19Given this emergency security situation, an emergency reclusion centre with a capacity

00:25for 20,000 inmates will be built immediately in the unpopulated area between the areas

00:32of Olancho and Gracias a Dios.

00:36About 30 prisons across Honduras currently hold over 20,000 inmates. They'd immediately

00:41be transferred to the new facility.

00:44The model it's based on in El Salvador has drawn criticism from rights groups, who've

00:48pointed to the suspension of basic liberties, due process and other human rights violations.

00:53But it's also one Bukele admires, at home and abroad.

00:57Since he took office in 2019, intentional homicide rates in El Salvador have dropped

01:02well below the Latin American average. And Honduran President Shomara Castro wants to

01:07take a leaf out of his book.

01:11We'll be leading urgent interventions in all municipalities of the country, identified

01:17as having the highest levels of crime. That includes hired assassinations, drug trafficking,

01:23extortion, kidnapping, arms trafficking, illicit association and money laundering.

01:32In 2023, 31 homicides were committed per 100,000 inhabitants in Honduras. It's a decrease from

01:39the previous year but remains one of the highest homicide rates in the world.

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