National News

Honduras's government will provide emergency food aid to approximately 40,000 families affected by drought in the southern region, and also plans infrastructure repairs and water projects to address longer-term effects of the dry spell.

Credit to Honduras's private sector is growing, with most new lending to businesses concentrated in services, real estate, and agriculture, the Central Bank reports.

Honduras's foreign-currency inflows grew compared to a year earlier, driven chiefly by robust family remittances, while outflows grew at a slower pace, producing a net positive currency gap.

Honduras's Criminal Investigation Directorate reported 118 arrests of suspects linked to murders of women through July 2026, the result of nationwide investigative operations and intelligence work.

Forward Bryan Sáenz, 20, has departed Honduran club Olimpia after obtaining US residency, joining nine other players who have left the team ahead of the new season.

Honduras has confirmed 12 measles cases—six imported and six locally acquired—and health officials say they screen suspected cases daily, warning that one infected person can spread the virus to up to 18 others and urging continued vaccination.

Cohep President Anabel Gallardo said Honduras escaped an additional 2.5% tariff hike from the United States but warned that some sectors still face 10% duties and need continued trade negotiations to improve conditions.

Ricardo Cardona, private secretary to ex-president Juan Orlando Hernández, returned to Honduras after four years in Nicaragua, denying any criminal charges despite multiple open corruption investigations against him.

The Agriculture Ministry's health agency (Senasa) is training veterinarians, importers, and customs agents on requirements and procedures for importing animal products and veterinary medicines to strengthen biosecurity and ensure compliance with import controls.

The Supreme Court of Justice has decided to transfer the case against former president Juan Orlando Hernández to the corruption court after he lost his immunity as a member of the Central American Parliament, moving it to ordinary jurisdiction.

President Nasry Asfura called on lawmakers to pass reforms to the Electricity Sector Law to address the state power utility ENEE's monthly losses of approximately 1.2 billion lempiras (about $48 million), which he said strain the government's capacity to fund health, education, and infrastructure.

A trough on Friday and an incoming tropical wave on Saturday will bring scattered to moderate rain to most of Honduras through Sunday, with daytime temperatures reaching 38°C (100°F) in the south, though forecasters say the rainfall will not relieve the ongoing drought affecting 75 municipalities.

The National Autonomous University of Honduras warns that rainfall could drop 30–40% below average starting in October across the Dry Corridor, the south, and Tegucigalpa as El Niño strengthens, threatening water supplies and the autumn harvest.

The Public Ministry will formally question former Deputy Security Minister Julissa Villanueva and demand she submit evidence she claims to hold about the disappearance of Angie Peña, after she publicly accused the Criminal Investigation Agency (ATIC) of obstructing the investigation.

A court rejected ex-prosecutor Francia Sofía Medina's request to be released pending sentencing in the BCH vault-theft case, though her lawyer argues she has already spent the legal maximum of 2.5 years in pretrial detention and filed an appeal.

Tropical Storm Genevieve formed in the Pacific Ocean on July 24 and is expected to intensify into a hurricane, but U.S. and Mexican meteorological authorities say it is tracking away from land and will not affect Honduras.

Congressman Sebastián Romero met with the National Volunteer Council to discuss proposed amendments to Honduras's volunteer law, which regulates organized citizen participation in nonprofit social work and seeks to protect volunteers' rights and benefits.

The Part-Time Employment Law, enacted in March 2026 and intended to create 250,000 jobs, has produced only 60 registered contracts so far, prompting business groups to seek reforms before the year-end holiday season; the Labor Secretary attributes slow uptake to widespread labor informality.

A man and woman were convicted of sexual assault, aggravated assault, and family violence against three children ages 6, 9, and 12, with the stepfather receiving 43.5 years and his partner an additional sentence.

President Nasry Asfura stated that the government will receive former president Juan Orlando Hernández upon his return on July 26 as it does any Honduran citizen, without addressing the legal proceedings Hernández faces in the Pandora II fraud and money-laundering case.

Defense Minister Enrique Rodríguez Burchard announced a 30% salary increase for enlisted soldiers, adding approximately 3,000 lempiras (about $120) monthly at a cost of over 570 million lempiras, effective July 2026.

Honduras's energy ministry announced new fuel prices effective July 27, with gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and vehicle gas rising by up to 5.59 lempiras per gallon in San Pedro Sula, while the government maintains temporary subsidies on regular gasoline and diesel.

Honduras's College of Biologists has criticized Decree 107-2026, which accelerates environmental permits for agribusiness, energy, and tourism projects, arguing the law weakens environmental protections, limits public participation, and risks irreversible damage to ecosystems and protected areas.

Vendors at the Feria del Agricultor are absorbing a recent L2-per-pound cost rise to keep beef prices stable, though drought threatening cattle feed may force adjustments in coming weeks.

A Honduran woman reported a scam attempt using artificial intelligence to impersonate content creator Carlos Eduardo Espina in a fake video call demanding thousands of dollars by claiming a relative was detained.

President Nasry Asfura announced $17 million in additional funding to expand ProOccidente, a rural development program, into Honduras's Dry Corridor, aiming to provide technical assistance, climate-smart technologies, financing, and market access to over 4,500 small and medium-sized farmers.

Surveillance teams from all 20 of Honduras's health regions attended a PAHO-supported webinar on epidemiological intelligence, part of a Pandemic Fund-backed project to build a faster, One Health–integrated early-warning system for outbreaks and health emergencies.

At a PAHO regional webinar, Honduras Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Midence highlighted the country's progress in reducing preventable maternal deaths through emergency obstetric coordination, adolescent pregnancy prevention, and expanded contraceptive access.

A PAHO technical team met with Honduras's Health Secretariat, the Global Fund, UNAIDS, and civil-society partners this week to identify ways to strengthen HIV diagnosis, information systems, and counseling by integrating services into primary-care networks.

A judge conducting case proceedings visited Honduras's criminal investigation agency as part of ongoing judicial work into the 2022 disappearance of Angie Peña, a high-profile missing-person case whose family recently filed a habeas corpus petition with the Supreme Court.