WOLA: Advocacy for Human Rights in the Americas

THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE IN DATA

The Central America Monitor presents robust quantitative data primarily obtained through official information requests in several key areas. These data assess advances, setbacks, or stalling on specific human rights and rule of law issues from 2014 to 2021. Below, start by viewing the data regionally or clicking on a country. Then, select a section. Under each section, select a specific indicator to explore the corresponding data points. You may also download the raw data or share the graphics.

Our Partners

WOLA is working in collaboration with the following organizations in Central America:

IUDOP fundacion myrna mack IUDPAS
University Institute of Public Opinion
El Salvador
Myrna Mack Foundation
Guatemala
Institute on Democracy, Peace & Security
Honduras
FINDINGS
Work Load

Between 2014 and 2017, each public defender in Guatemala and El Salvador was assigned an average of more than 160 cases.

Work Load

Between 2014 and 2019, Honduras and Guatemala employed an average of 271 and 158 public defenders, respectively. From 2014-2017, El Salvador's average was 259.

Work Load

On average, 48 autopsies were assigned to each forensic expert per year in Honduras, 43 in Guatemala, and 31 in El Salvador.

Work Load

Between 2014 and 2017, judiciaries issued an average of 10,249 sentences per year in El Salvador, 8,906 in Honduras, and 8,822 in Guatemala.

Work Load

From 2014-2017, El Salvador reported the most case dismissals, averaging 15,589 dismissals per year, followed by Honduras (5,497) and Guatemala (3,260).

Work Load

Although it has the smallest population, from 2014-2017 El Salvador’s judiciary registered the highest number of criminal cases each year.

Budget Allocations

Budgets for public prosecutors’ offices increased by 97% in Honduras and 137% in Guatemala from 2014-2019 and 55% in El Salvador from 2014-2017.

Budget Allocations

All three countries allocated nearly 3% annual expenditures to their defense ministries and 2.5% to 5.7% to their civilian police forces.

Budget Allocations

Although it had the smallest budget, El Salvador dedicated more resources to its judiciary and public defender’s office than other countries.

Budget Allocations

From 2014 to 2017, Guatemala had the largest annual average budget ($9.2 billion), followed by Honduras ($8.1B) and El Salvador ($4.8B).

Human Resources

The ministries of defense of all three countries denied our requests for information regarding the total number of military personnel.

Human Resources

From 2014 to 2017, Guatemala and El Salvador reported having 3 and 8 judges with criminal jurisdiction per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively.

Human Resources

On average, women only represented about 14% of the police forces in El Salvador and Guatemala between 2014 and 2017.

Human Resources

On average, women represented some 66% of public defenders in Honduras and 47% in Guatemala between 2014 and 2018.

Public Perception

Public confidence in the armed forces decreased drastically in all three countries between 2015 and 2017, with reductions between 5% and 9%.

Public Perception

There was a notable increase (some 4% to 6%) in public confidence in the judiciary in El Salvador and Guatemala between 2015 and 2017.

Public Perception

In the justice and security sector, citizens reported having more confidence in the armed forces than in other state entities.

Public Perception

El Salvador received the highest scores (36) on the Corruption Perceptions Index 2020. Guatemala and Honduras scored between 24 and 25.

Crimes

From 2014 to 2019, extortion cases increased by 100% in Guatemala and decreased by 46% in Honduras. Cases decreased by 23% in El Salvador from 2014-2017.

Crimes

While human trafficking cases decreased 52% in El Salvador from 2014-2017, they increased by 212% in Honduras and 36% in Guatemala from 2014-2019.

Crimes

The number of sexual assault cases barely changed. It did not vary more than 2% in any country between 2014 and 2017.

Crimes

Government data from 2014-2017 report that femicides increased by 84% in El Salvador and decreased by 4% in Guatemala and by 26% in Honduras.

Crimes

Each country reported a decrease in the number of rape cases (10% to 16%), homicides (9% to 34%) and kidnappings (24% to 46%).

General Information

Honduras has the highest poverty rate (between 60 and 69%), followed by Guatemala (59%) and El Salvador (between 22% and 35%).

General Information

Among the three countries, the literacy rate (between 81% and 90%) and life expectancy (between 72 and 76 years) are comparable.

General Information

The urban population is highest in El Salvador (62.3%) and Honduras (53.7%). In Guatemala, the population is almost equally rural and urban.

General Information

Guatemala has the largest population and the highest proportion of Indigenous people (more than 41%), followed by Honduras and El Salvador.

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