COMMENTARY | A U.S. Peace Corps spokeswoman on Wednesday announced that the humanitarian organization had removed 158 volunteers from Honduras, according to a CNN news report. This action was first announced in December, in response to growing concern about the safety and welfare of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in this troubled region. In a statement that appears on the organization’s website, Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams said, “The safety and security of all Peace Corps volunteers is the agency’s highest priority. During this time, we are going to conduct a full review of the program. We thank the people of Honduras for their strong support of Peace Corps over the years.”
The organization claims the removal of volunteers is not in response to any specific incident. However, The Christian Science Monitor reported that their decision to remove all volunteers came just days after a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Honduras was shot in the leg during an armed robbery. The Associated Press also reported that in January of 2011, another Peace Corps volunteer was robbed and raped while hiking in southern Honduras.
Honduras, along with other Central American countries like Guatemala and El Salvador, has experienced an increase in drug cartel-related crimes in recent years. According to a 2011 report compiled by the United Nations, Honduras’ homicide rate is the highest in the world, with 81.2 murders per 100,000 residents. This increase in violent crimes has caused many humanitarian aid organizations to remove their volunteers, leaving one of the poorest countries in the world without much-needed global assistance.
As a recent visitor to Honduras, I have witnessed their extreme poverty first-hand and know the Honduran people to be proud and honorable. The activities conducted there by many of the world’s humanitarian organizations involve the most basic of services – clean water, sanitation, and improving child mortality rates. As the corruption and crime explodes around them, they need these services now more than ever. As reported on Yahoo News, the United States will be sending unspecified personnel to Honduras to assist in an effort to squelch the crime explosion that has crippled this small nation. Honduran President, Porfirio Lobo, in response to the anticipated arrival of help from the U.S. said, “… that will contribute to the tranquility of the Honduran people.”