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Honduras: Safe Haven for Human Trafficking Victims

Honduras is known for many things, but it should be known for one of its greate
st virtues: it is a key station on the underground railroad â a hidden system that
transports girls and women who have been hunted and recovered from Belize huma
n trafficking.
Over the years, our organization has developed a string of Honduran safe havens
for girls and women who have been hunted and recovered from their human traffick
ing nightmare. So many of them would not have wound up in that nightmare if it w
ere not so easy for traffickers to access the Belize human trafficking superhigh
way. Honduras does not provide nearly the easy access enjoyed by traffickers in
Belize.
At the heart of this network of welcoming Honduran homes is a great cultural val
ue: ficha bars, i.e., establishments that distinguish themselves by offering hum
an trafficking victims in forced prostitution, are not tolerated. There are no h
uman trafficking hubs and ficha bar concentrations in Honduras. Not like Belize
with its San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, a bonanza for those profiting from human tra
fficking.
Why is Honduras different? Easiest way to explain: Honduran women are a force to
be reckoned with.
Hondurans, particularly the women, are fiercely against men in their communities
availing themselves of ficha bar entertainments. There are plenty of bars, yes.
But there is a code among Hondurans that we have come to admire and respect: no
bars offering trafficked women in our backyard, thanks. In many ways it reflect
s the warmth and compassion that runs through this part of Central America.
Itâ s the reason that our organization has been able to come back to Honduras time
and again with victims weâ ve rescued from the Belize human trafficking industry. A
nd, most important, it is in Honduras where we find the most help for human traf
ficking victims: shelter and recovery from their ordeal. Almost all of them have
been stolen from their families and trapped in a sordid world where they have b
een made to endure forced sex in hellhole bars night after night.
Senora Paz is one of the stars of the underground railroad. She offers her home
to recovered victims, sometimes as many as eight at a time. She understands that
these are wounded women in need of healing and focus. Food and lodging are offe
red, yes. But Senora Paz also counsels wisely, telling victims they are not to b
lame for what has happened to them. So many do. Itâ s a long recovery process that
starts with a feeling of safety. Senora Paz and her safe haven counterparts acro
ss the country are exceptional people, but they reflect the standard of kindness
that we have come to expect in Honduras.

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