Honduran President Xiomara Castro declares national emergency over increasing criminal gang extortions 

On Thursday (Nov 24), Honduran President Xiomara Castro proclaimed a national security emergency to tackle the escalating number of extortion crimes by criminal gang groups.

The government has also started a new executing strategy to tackle the violations with the deployment of 20,000 police officers, additional security measures for the highways, and anti-money laundering measures, Reuters reported.

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In a televised address, the socialist president unveiled a new strategy to fight extortion that plagues the country.

Castro's proposed measures would permit the suspension of several constitutional rights in regions where criminal activity prevails. The measures went into effect on the same day, but the authority still needs to authorise the suspension of fundamental rights. The proclamation also permits the Honduran government to utilise public funds to combat the criminal gangs involved in kidnapping and drug trafficking.

The announcement comes after pressure from businessmen, transportation drivers, and NGOs who claim that recent months have seen an increase in extortion, most by the Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 and Mara Barrio 18 gangs.

The gangs have promised to not harm anyone who pays the so-called "war tax." People who have been able to pay taxes were out of the terror while individuals who failed to do that were killed.

As per the Association for a More Just Society, a non-governmental group that focuses, this extortion nets the gang a yearly income of $737 million or 3 per cent of the nation's GDP.

(With inputs from agencies)

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