Luis Gerardo Méndez, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, visits Honduras

Mexican actor Luis Gerardo Méndez, Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), visited Honduras to learn more about the reality faced by thousands of internally displaced people or those who are at risk of displacement due to the context of violence that forces them to flee their homes.

“As a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador I have had the opportunity to travel within Mexico to learn about the situation of refugees. Many of these people come from Honduras and for me it was important to come and learn about the context of displacement,” said the actor when reflecting on his experience in the country.

Community resilience

During his visit to the city of Tegucigalpa, Luis Gerardo Méndez visited the neighborhoods of Rosalinda, La Era and Nueva Capital, where he was able to see, first-hand, the risks that people in these communities face, but also their immense capacity to get ahead. despite the context.

In San Pedro Sula he visited two sectors of the Chamelecón neighborhood, one of the most impacted by violence in the country, where visited two spaces recovered by community organizations led by youth.

“In Honduras I found very beautiful and warm people, with a very big heart and a great desire to change the environment of the communities in which they live. “Women, childhoods, people with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ people and dozens of young people creating and transforming through sport, art and culture,” said the actor.

Méndez also explained that UNHCR works hand in hand with these people to find alternatives to violence. “I leave Honduras really impressed by the community-based work,” he added.

Half a million displaced

Luis Gerardo Méndez, recognized for his commitment to humanitarian causes, highlighted the need to raise awareness about displacement in Honduras, which has affected more than 250,000 people internally and has forced more than 300,000 to seek protection outside the country. Violence in its various forms, such as extortion, threats and forced recruitment, drives thousands of Hondurans to flee their homes in search of safety in other territories.

UNHCR works closely with Honduran institutions and local organizations to strengthen response capacity and provide assistance to those forced to flee.

During his visit, Luis Gerardo Méndez highlighted how these alliances are fundamental to address the multiple dimensions and seek solutions to forced displacement in Honduras.