Honduran President Wins Approval to Fund 200 New Prosecutors and Investigators to Fight Corruption

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has scored a victory in the efforts to battle corruption, winning approval from Congress for his funding request for 200 new prosecutors and investigators within the Ministers of Defense and Public Security.  After the National Congress ruled out the renewal of the MACCIH/OAS, which relied on foreign prosecutors, President Hernandez moved quickly to provide additional resources to Honduran institutions that are working to combat corruption.

On February 13, 2020, by a vote of 71 for, 8 against and 5 members abstaining, the Honduran Congress approved the President´s Budget request for:

• 100 new prosecutors within the Ministers of Defense and Public Security
• 100 new investigators for the ATIC (Criminal Investigation Technical Agency)
• 50 new detectives focused on the fight against narco-trafficking

The total funding approved is the equivalent of $ 5,4 million USD.

"President Hernandez is firmly committed to enhancing transparency and fighting corruption," said Maria Dolores Agüero Lara, Honduras Ambassador to the U.S. "It is essential that this mission be formalized within existing Honduran institutions so that the fight can continue. Working together, the Administration and the Congress are ensuring the resources are there to root out corruption wherever it exists in Honduras."

Regional Security Conference

On another note, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf traveled to Honduras for the 12^th Regional Security Conference in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The ministerial brought together security officials from the U.S., Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama to discuss efforts to jointly address irregular migration, border security, and transnational criminal organizations in the region. 

Among the issues addressed at the Conference, the officials discussed ways they can continue to work together to target human smuggling and trafficking organizations operating in the region. Also, they discussed about reaching further progress on the agreements related with Biometric Information Exchange Program (BDSP), the frameworks for the exchange of intelligence, Border Security and Irregular Migration Assistance (AIM) and plans that would lead to greater opportunity and prosperity for the Central Americans in their hometowns.

SOURCE President Juan Orlando Hernández