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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 21 (Reuters) - The death toll from a riot at a women's prison in Honduras rose to 46, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, as anxious relatives demanded information about the fate of incarcerated family members. Relatives of inmates gathered at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social, the 900-person women's penitentiary around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the capital city Tegucigalpa, where gang violence erupted a day earlier. Identifying victims is a challenge, as many of which were "charred or reduced" to ash, according to Yuri Mora, spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office. The riot had been planned by gang members with guards' knowledge, Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Twitter on Tuesday, saying she would take "drastic measures" to address the deaths. [1/5]Security forces operate outside the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) women prison following a deadly riot in Tamara, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 20, 2023.

Persons: Yuri Mora, Xiomara Castro, Angel Garcia, Fredy Rodriguez, Garcia, Mara Salvatrucha, Miguel Martinez, Julissa Villanueva, El, Gustavo Palencia, Brendan O'Boyle, Valentine Hillaire, Daina Beth Solomon, Alistair Bell Organizations: Centro Femenino de, Twitter, Security, REUTERS, Central America, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Tamara, Los Angeles, Central, El Salvador

☆ Honduras: At least 41 killed in riot at woman's prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Cnn En Español | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A deadly riot at a women’s prison in Honduras led to at least 41 people being killed, Public Ministry spokesperson Yuri Mora told CNN en Español. The apparent prison riot broke out Tuesay at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social, a women’s penitentiary outside the capital city Tegucigalpa, and there are fears the death toll will rise. Mora said the death toll could increase as rescue teams continue to work, adding that some of the deaths were the result of burns while others had gunshot wounds. Security forces are seen outside the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social women prison following a deadly riot. Fredy Rodriguez/ReutersThe country has a history of incidents at its prisons – criticized for being overcrowded places with poor conditions amid an increase of organized crime Some 63 people died in a prison riot in 2003, and more than 300 people died in a prison fire in 2021.

Persons: Yuri Mora, Mora, Mara Salvatrucha, Delma Ordonez, Fredy Rodriguez Organizations: CNN, Public, Centro Femenino de, Barrio, Reuters, Security Locations: Honduras, Tegucigalpa

☆ 25 dead following reported riot in women's prison in Honduras
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Security forces operate outside the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) women prison following a deadly riot in Tamara, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Fredy RodriguezTEGUCIGALPA, June 20 (Reuters) - Honduran authorities have discovered 25 charred bodies in a women's prison, a spokesperson from the public prosecutors' office said on Tuesday after a reported prison riot. Authorities are working to identify the bodies, spokesperson Yuri Mora said, amid local media reports that a riot had broken out in the Centro Femenino de Adaptación Social (CEFAS) prison, a women's penitentiary around 20 kilometers from the capital city Tegucigalpa. There is a history of deadly prison incidents in Honduras, with 18 inmates reportedly killed in a gang fight in a penitentiary in 2019, and over 350 dying in a fire in 2012. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Isabel Woodford; editing by Stephen EisenhammerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fredy Rodriguez, Yuri Mora, Gustavo Palencia, Isabel Woodford, Stephen Eisenhammer Organizations: Security, Centro Femenino de, REUTERS, Fredy, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Tamara, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fredy Rodriguez TEGUCIGALPA

☆ 41 Dead After Riot Erupts in Honduran Women’s Prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Emiliano Rodríguez Mega | Joan Suazo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At least 41 inmates were killed on Tuesday morning in central Honduras after a riot broke out at the country’s only prison for women, one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence in the country’s long-troubled prison system. Most of the victims had been burned, while others had been shot, said Yuri Mora, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office, who added that the death toll was expected to rise as investigators combed through the detention facility in Támara, near Tegucigalpa, the capital. While the cause of the violence was not clear, the prison has been the scene of ongoing conflict between feuding gangs. “We are dismayed by the loss of human lives,” Julissa Villanueva, vice minister of security and head of the Honduran penitentiary system, said in a news conference. The country’s penal system, she said, had been “hijacked” by organized crime.

Persons: Yuri Mora, ” Julissa Villanueva Locations: Honduras, Támara, Tegucigalpa, Honduran

☆ IMF sees Honduran economic growth slowing to about 3% in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, June 16 (Reuters) - Honduran economic growth is seen slowing to about 3% in 2023, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated in a statement issued on Friday, pointing to fewer remittances and pressures on the energy and farm sectors stemming from drought conditions. Honduran authorities said earlier this week they would begin rationing electricity due to the drought's impact on the country's hydroelectric plants. A drought linked to El Nino weather phenomenon is affecting much of Central America and is expected to cut into the region's harvests. "Honduras remains one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate disasters, with sizeable adaptation investment needs," the IMF statement said. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by David Alire GarciaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gustavo Palencia, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Central, IMF, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduran, Nino, Central America, Honduras

☆ Honduras opens embassy in China after cutting ties to Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Lintao Zhang/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBEIJING, June 11 (Reuters) - Honduras opened an embassy in China on Sunday, Chinese state media reported, after the Central American nation cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan earlier this year. The embassy in Beijing was opened by foreign ministers from the two countries, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Tegucigalpa in March ended its decades-long relationship with Taipei and established diplomatic ties with Beijing. China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state relations, a position Taipei strongly rejects. Taiwan now has formal diplomatic relations with only 13 countries, mostly poor and developing countries in Central America, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Persons: Qin Gang, Eduardo Enrique Reina, Lintao Zhang, Xiomara Castro, Xi, Ellen Zhang, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Foreign, Honduras Foreign, Central, CCTV, Pacific, Thomson Locations: Honduras, Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, BEIJING, Central American, Taiwan, Tegucigalpa, Taipei, Central America, Caribbean

☆ Honduras will 'soon' launch trade talks with China as ties deepen
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, May 12 (Reuters) - Honduras will soon begin talks toward a trade deal with China, the Central American country's top diplomat said on Friday, marking the latest step toward stronger bilateral ties between the two nations after Honduras broke off relations with Taiwan. Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina told reporters at a press conference that the goal is to launch talks "soon" and eventually ink a "free trade" agreement with the Asian giant, the world's second-largest economy. "It will be good news and (offer) opportunities for access to our products to China," said Reina. Reina said that China has also expressed interest in buying Honduran beef and bananas, among other products. In April, the diplomat said Honduras also hopes to reach agreements with China to lighten the nation's debt burden with the support of financial organizations from its new partner.

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - A Miami-based digital marketing firm was behind a series of covert political influence operations in Latin America over the last year, Facebook-owner Meta (META.O) said this week, a rare exposé of an apparent U.S.-based misinformation-for-hire outfit. "It's a classic pattern that you tend to see with for-hire influence operations," said Ben Nimmo, Meta's Global Threat Intelligence Lead. Meta says it regularly takes down disinformation and misinformation operations in order to maintain the integrity of its platform. Twitter said in a September 2022 blog that it had shared datasets about influence operations with Cazadores. Former Twitter employees told Reuters in January that most of the staff involved in the TMRC had since left and Reuters could not determine if it was still operational.

☆ Exclusive: Mexican firm seeks $380 million from Honduras over blocked unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Valentine Hilaire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MEXICO CITY, April 14 (Reuters) - Mexican investment firm JLL Capital, whose Honduran operation has been blocked since 2018 in a local dispute, is seeking some $380 million from the Central American country in arbitration proceedings, claiming that it violated foreign investment protections, documents reviewed by Reuters show. The invitations were properly handled, countered Daniel Garcia Barragan of the law firm Garcia Barragan Abogados representing JLL last week. This is the second claim against Honduras submitted to World Bank's ICSID this year, its website shows. Some analysts say this casts doubt on the Central American nation's ability to attract foreign investment. Executives had planned to expand operations to Guatemala, but pulled the plug due to its legal troubles in Honduras.

☆ Honduras again extends emergency powers to fight violent gangs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, April 7 (Reuters) - Honduras' government on Friday extended until late May emergency powers that suspend some constitutional rights, part of an anti-gang push implemented by leftist President Xiomara Castro in the Central American country's largest cities. Earlier this week, Castro's government deployed soldiers across the nation to fight violent criminal groups. This is the third extension - this time by another 45 days - of the so-called state of exception that is now set to expire on May 21, the government said in a statement. "This legal measure has made it possible for security authorities to capture more than a hundred members of criminal organizations," the statement added. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Honduras deploys hundreds of military agents to fight crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, April 3 (Reuters) - Honduras' government deployed soldiers across the country as part of a plan to fight criminal groups, authorities said Monday, with official images showing hundreds of soldiers being commissioned for the project. "In this new stage we have the task of ending drug trafficking, crime and also capturing the leaders of maras (violent street gangs) and gangs. We will guarantee peace for the life of the Honduran people," Defense Minister Jose Manuel Zelaya said at a ceremony. The state of emergency, which suspends some constitutional rights, is set to last until April 20. Honduras registers an average of 10 homicides a day, according to security authorities.

☆ Honduras President Castro to visit China after cutting Taiwan ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 29 (Reuters) - Honduran President Xiomara Castro will travel to China "soon," the Honduran foreign ministry said on Twitter on Wednesday, without providing a date for the trip. The announcement came days after China established diplomatic ties with Honduras as the Central American country ended its decades-long relationship with Taiwan. Honduras' foreign minister traveled to China last week, days after Castro tweeted her government would seek to open relations with Beijing, which officially established ties with Honduras on Sunday. Taiwan, left with diplomatic relations with only 13 countries, accused Honduras of demanding exorbitant sums before severing ties. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taiwan told to 'pack up and leave' Honduras after ties severed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Gustavo Palencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A vehicle leaves the Taiwan Embassy after Honduras has given Taiwan 30 days to vacate its embassy after severing relations with Taiwan in favor of China, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 26, 2023. China has long argued that democratically ruled Taiwan is part of its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei strongly rejects. In his remarks, Garcia said 30 days "is more than enough time to pack up and leave," adding that officials aim for an "orderly, friendly" exit. Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu said 30 days was an "international norm", and that they would comment further later. In its own statement on Monday, the conservative National Party pledged to re-establish ties with Taiwan if it can retake the Honduran presidency in 2026.

☆ Taiwan told to vacate embassy in Honduras after ties severed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A vehicle leaves the Taiwan Embassy after Honduras has given Taiwan 30 days to vacate its embassy after severing relations with Taiwan in favor of China, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 26, 2023. REUTERS/Fredy RodriguezTEGUCIGALPA , March 27 (Reuters) - Taiwan must vacate its embassy in Honduras' capital Tegucigalpa in 30 days, a senior Honduran official said on Monday, after President Xiomara Castro severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China in a bid for more assistance from the Asian giant. China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei strongly rejects. Taipei's embassy in the leafy Palmira neighborhood was for years one of the Central American capital's most prominent foreign outposts, as well as the country's second-biggest embassy after the U.S. embassy. The move left Taiwan with only 13 formal allies, mostly poor and developing countries in Central America, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

☆ Honduras forms diplomatic ties with China after Taiwan break
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The national flags of Honduras and Taiwan are seen at the Republic of China Square in Tegucigalpa on March 15, 2023. Honduras formed diplomatic ties with China on Sunday after breaking off relations with Taiwan, which is increasingly isolated and now recognized by only 13 sovereign states, including Vatican City. Relations between Taiwan and Honduras were once stable, he said, but China had not stopped luring Honduras. "The Castro government dismissed our nation's longstanding assistance and relations and carried out talks to form diplomatic ties with China. The U.S. doesn't have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but has maintained that Taipei is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific.

☆ Honduras ends decades-long diplomatic ties with Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 25 (Reuters) - Honduras said on Saturday it was ending its decades-long diplomatic relations with Taiwan, bringing it closer to China as it expands its footprint in Central America. "The government of Honduras recognises the existence of just one China," the Honduran foreign ministry said in a post on Twitter. The ministry said Honduras had notified Taiwan of its decision to break ties, and that it would not return to having any relationship or official contact with Taiwan. The Honduran foreign minister travelled to China this week to open relations after President Xiomara Castro said her government would start ties with Beijing, Honduras being one of only 14 countries to formally recognise Taiwan. China views Taiwan as one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, a view the democratically elected government in Taipei strongly disputes.

☆ U.S. warns China's promises often empty as Honduras wavers on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. At stake is China's growing footprint in Central America, once a steadfast base for Taiwan and where the United States is worried about Beijing's expanding influence in its backyard. The American Institute in Taiwan said that while Honduras' possible severing of ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing was a sovereign decision, China does not always follow through on its promises. The Honduras drama is happening ahead of a high-profile visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to the United States and Central America next week. The United States also has no official ties with Taiwan but is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier.

☆ Honduran official: US 'respects' decision on China relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. government said it "respects" Honduras' decision to move towards establishing formal diplomatic ties with China, the Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina said on Monday after a meeting with U.S. officials. Reina said Honduras' President Xiomara Castro made "general comments" on the decision during the meeting attended by different officials such as U.S. Special Presidential Adviser for the Americas Chris Dodd. Castro announced last week the country would seek diplomatic ties with Beijing, a move that risks further reducing Taiwan's pool of allies as China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan strongly disputes. Since 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen was elected Taiwan's president, Panama, El Salvador and most recently, Nicaragua, have opted to establish relations with China.

☆ Taiwan, facing loss of ally Honduras, says it won't bow to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. On Tuesday, Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced the government would seek diplomatic ties with Beijing, which would come at the expense of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. "Over the years we have worked together with our diplomatic allies to support their national development plans in elevating the welfare of their people," he added. If Honduras ditched Taiwan, it would leave the island with only 13 diplomatic allies, mostly small and developing nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific. China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, a view the democratically elected government in Taipei strongly rejects.

☆ Taiwan warns Honduras against 'poison' of aid from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had asked her foreign minister to open official relations with China. Reina said Honduras had asked Taiwan to double its annual aid to $100 million but never received an answer. Taiwan denied that, saying comments from the Honduran foreign minister did not reflect facts of their communications. China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan strongly disputes.

☆ Honduras ditching Taiwan raises larger geopolitical concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The national flags of Honduras and Taiwan are seen at the Republic of China Square in Tegucigalpa on March 15, 2023. Stringer | AFP | Getty ImagesHonduras' decision to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China is yet another sign of growing Chinese influence in Latin America. But some of the few remaining in Latin America, like Paraguay and Guatemala, promised Wednesday to keep their support for Taiwan. "It is a complex decision, we understand, but Honduras' foreign policy should seek to benefit the people. In that sense, Tuesday's announcement also exemplifies the American government is "losing its grasp on" Latin America, said David Castrillon-Kerrigan, research-professor on China-related issues at Colombia's Externado University.

☆ Taiwan warns Honduras against 'poison' of taking aid from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had asked her foreign minister to open official relations with China. "We remind the Honduran government that it should not quench its thirst with poison, even if fully parched by debt obligations," the Taiwan ministry said. Reina said Honduras had asked Taiwan to double its annual aid to $100 million but never received an answer. Taiwan denied that, saying comments from the Honduran foreign minister did not reflect facts of their communications.

☆ Senior U.S. envoy to travel to Honduras as it considers China ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 16 (Reuters) - A high-ranking envoy of President Joe Biden will travel to Panama and Honduras this month, the U.S. Department of State said on Thursday, days after Taiwan ally Honduras said it would establish formal diplomatic ties with China. "China has been suppressing Taiwan's diplomacy, so it will invest funds related to specific countries in order to block Taiwan's diplomatic development," he said. "Therefore, we very much hope that Honduras can recognize the true nature of China and hope they maintain diplomatic relations and not be deceived." While the United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier. China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, a view the democratically elected government in Taipei strongly rejects.

TEGUCIGALPA, March 15 (Reuters) - Honduras' decision to seek official relations with China and cut them with Taiwan on Tuesday was about "pragmatism, not ideology," driven by rising debt and investment needs, Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina said on Wednesday. China does not allow countries to hold diplomatic ties with both itself and Taiwan as it claims Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, which Taiwan disputes. Speaking on local television, Reina said Honduras was "up to its neck" in financial issues and debt - including the $600 million it owes Taiwan - and this had partly motivated Honduras' decision to open relations with China. Honduras' decision puts pressure on Taiwan ahead of a visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to the U.S. and Central America. Honduras intends to keep trade ties with Taiwan, however, Reina added during his television appearance.

☆ Honduras president says govt to seek official relations with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, March 14 (Reuters) - Honduras President Xiomara Castro said on Tuesday she had instructed the country's foreign minister to bring about the opening of official relations with China. Honduras' foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the announcement. China does not allow countries with which it has diplomatic relations to maintain official ties with Taiwan. If Honduras breaks off its relations with Taiwan, it would leave it with formal diplomatic ties with only 13 countries. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it was "in the process of understanding" the situation, without giving further details.

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