The spokesman for the Honduran Security Secretariat, Miguel Martinez, has confirmed that next Tuesday a partial state of emergency will come into effect, which will mainly affect the two most important cities in the country -Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula– in order to curb criminal violence and extortion crimes, as reported by ‘La Prensa’.
This measure is part of the National Plan against Extortion launched by Xiomara Castro’s government in November and seeks to recover the «normality» of many small and medium traders and investors who have been affected by these practices.
The state of exception will be extended for 30 days as from 6:00 a.m. on December 6, as detailed by the official source in declarations to journalists.
The Government points out that extortion has increased in the last 20 years, leaving «hundreds of people dead», many of them public transport drivers, and «ruined» traders who had to close their businesses and even flee the country.
As reported by local media, some merchants say they are victims of extortion threats from up to three different criminal gangs.
