Cortés News

Daniel Meraz confessed in court on August 7 to the June 3 femicide of nurse Elvia Mercedes Gómez López, his ex-partner in San Manuel, Cortés; sentencing is set for August 12, with prosecutors seeking 18–25 years imprisonment.

The Cortés Chamber of Commerce president cited a sharp trade deficit with China—Honduras imports about $210 million monthly in Chinese goods while exporting far less—and called for equal competitive conditions and enforcement of tax and labor laws for all foreign investors.

Honduras confirmed its 13th measles case this year—a six-month-old infant in Cortés department—with six cases imported and seven acquired domestically, as health authorities urge complete vaccination coverage to prevent spread.

Santiago Motiño, mayor of La Lima, is pushing a bill in Congress to give his municipality 70% of customs revenues from Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, citing noise pollution, property damage, and the airport's historical location in La Lima's jurisdiction.

A lawyer over 50 was found dead in his home in Cofradía, Cortés on Wednesday morning; family members said he had been struggling emotionally for about a month.

Congress approved a motion calling on the state power utility (Enee) to open dialogue with Lake Yojoa tourism operators about sustainable use of a 630-meter canal section, after the expiration of a prior agreement left hundreds of families dependent on the activity at risk.

María Gregoria Martínez, from Las Lajas in Comayagua, was struck and killed by a vehicle on July 27 in the Dos Caminos sector of Villanueva while visiting family; authorities have not yet determined the driver's responsibility.

National Police arrested a 26-year-old engineering student in San Manuel, Cortés, after a court-ordered raid on a home where officers seized 15 kilograms of marijuana valued at approximately 500,000 lempiras (about $20,000) and equipment used for packaging drugs for distribution across the Sula Valley.

Qarim Qubain, president of the Cortés Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says Congress needs more time to build consensus on controversial energy reforms, warning that prolonged electricity costs are driving away business investment.

A four-vehicle collision near Cofradía in Cortés left three people injured and hospitalized; the driver of one vehicle fled the scene.

A $120 million cruise and cargo terminal planned for Omoa, approved by Congress in 2021 and expected to create over 2,000 jobs, is sparking debate over its environmental and economic impact on the coastal municipality.

Police arrested a 22-year-old man in La Lima, Cortés, on an outstanding warrant for drug trafficking issued in July 2024.

National Police arrested a 30-year-old security guard in Choloma during a preventive operation and seized several packets of suspected marijuana and cocaine; he faces charges of drug trafficking.

A Mexican influencer survived being swept into the Pulhapanzak waterfall in Cortés after wading in to rescue her dog, sustaining fractured ribs and head injuries before her swimsuit snagged on a rock above the 43-meter drop.

The Infrastructure Ministry is overseeing Stage IV mitigation work in Cortés, including reconstruction of protective levees along the Chamelecón River near Choloma to shield Las Vegas community from seasonal flooding.

The president of the Cortés Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the El Tablón dam project requires comprehensive technical studies and designs to ensure viability, following President Nasry Asfura's announcement of a new design.

Karim Qubain, president of the Cortés Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIC), expressed concern that a redesign of engineering studies for the El Tablón Dam could delay the project further, arguing that the Sula Valley cannot afford more postponement given its vulnerability to climate change.

Honduras is spending 1.4 billion lempiras (about $56 million) this year on dike and levee reinforcement across the Sula Valley—the largest such investment on record—using innovations like riprap and Concrete Canvas to shield San Manuel, La Lima, El Progreso, Puerto Cortés, and Choloma from flooding.

National Police arrested a man in Villanueva, Cortés, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant for murder.

The Third Infantry Battalion of Honduras's armed forces rescued a British researcher who became dehydrated while studying cloud forest biodiversity in Cusuco National Park in Cortés and transported him to a hospital in San Pedro Sula.

The government is deploying Concrete Canvas, a reinforced geomesh system, on levees in the Sula Valley to increase their resistance to flooding and give communities more time to evacuate before potential river overflows.

The state utility ENEE announced scheduled power cuts in several neighborhoods of Choloma, Cortés, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on July 13 for transmission-line maintenance.

Construction of a new cargo terminal in Omoa, Cortés, is raising concerns from local tourism businesses and environmentalists about lack of public transparency, potential damage to marine ecosystems and fishing, and threats to the region's tourism economy.

A serious collision involving several heavy trucks closed a road in Blanquito, Choloma, Cortés, after the vehicles became lodged across the highway.

Constantino Milla was killed in the Rondón de Alfredo neighborhood of Choloma on July 10 after being struck by at least 23 gunshots; authorities have not yet identified a motive or made arrests.

A confirmed measles outbreak in the Cofradía sector of San Pedro Sula has prompted health authorities to deploy 15 daily vaccination brigades and open four fixed vaccination sites, while schools have shifted to remote classes for three weeks to limit spread.

A Villanueva court ordered Selvin Edgardo Meza Alemán held in pretrial detention on suspicion of repeated sexual assault of a minor, with a preliminary hearing set for August 7.

Honduras's Education Ministry is analyzing whether to temporarily suspend in-person classes in Cofradía, Cortés, after 12 confirmed measles cases emerged in the northern region, pending recommendations from health officials.

Honduras has confirmed six measles cases, including four in a family that traveled to Copán, with health authorities investigating seven contacts and urging parents to complete vaccination schemes as inoculation coverage lags at 70% of the 95% target.

A 6-month-old in Cofradía, Cortés, became Honduras's twelfth confirmed measles case, linked to four locally transmitted infections in the area; health officials warned that national vaccination coverage remains at only 70%, below the 95% threshold needed to prevent spread.