National News

Congress passed reforms to the domestic-violence law that will bar anyone convicted of domestic violence from obtaining a driver's license, purchasing or possessing firearms, or holding public office.

Aloísio Pires Alves, a former Barcelona captain and Porto legend who served as an assistant under José Mourinho, will become a Liga Nacional head coach for the first time, bringing decades of European experience to Honduran club football.

Tropical Storm Cristina weakened to a tropical depression but continues to threaten Central America with heavy rainfall, high surf, and flooding alerts; Costa Rica reported five people missing after two boats capsized off Guanacaste.

A forum on emergency contraception in Honduras found that despite a decree mandating free access in public facilities without a prescription, rural women face significant barriers, pharmacies inconsistently stock the pill, and awareness campaigns remain insufficient.

Two days after approving the Agroindustrial Protection Law, Congress modified it outside normal legislative procedure to extend tax and permitting benefits to energy and tourism sectors, a move critics say violates parliamentary rules and threatens indigenous and Garífuna lands.

Tropical Depression Cristina weakened from a tropical storm on Wednesday but officials warn it could strengthen again as it continues to drench Central America with heavy rainfall.

Former Central American Bank president Dante Mossi cautioned that a proposed reform to exclude bonuses from income tax (ISR) calculations would create tax-evasion opportunities and reduce government revenue, reversing two decades of IMF-backed reforms.

The union representing ENEE employees opposes splitting the state utility into three private companies and proposes instead an internal reorganization by distribution, operation, transmission, and generation aimed at reducing losses while keeping the utility public.

Honduras's National Statistics Institute (INE) is hiring workers for the 2026 census, with details on available positions and application procedures available online.

The Central Bank allocated $88.3 million in its June 10 currency auction, setting the weighted average exchange rate at L26.6836 per dollar for June 11.

A specialized national court in Honduras opened proceedings against four men accused of murder, attempted murder, and criminal association in a killing in the western part of the country.

The Central Bank of Honduras expressed deep condolences over the death of Daniel Alfredo Figueroa, who served as vice president of the institution.

Honduras has launched a 1.2 billion lempira (approximately $48 million USD) infrastructure project to rehabilitate over 3,100 kilometers of secondary and tertiary roads across all 18 departments, aiming to maintain rural connectivity and protect agricultural corridors year-round.

Honduras's business council endorsed the government's proposed energy reforms but called for stronger legal protections, independent regulators, and a phased breakup of the state utility ENEE to reduce technical losses and attract investment.

Honduras has logged 3,823 suspected dengue cases through early June, with 66 hospitalizations and children under 15 the hardest-hit group, as health authorities urge residents to eliminate mosquito breeding sites during the rainy season.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano has urged the Supreme Court to reconsider Memorandum 02-2026, which requires judges to record defendants' self-identified gender and chosen names in criminal proceedings, saying the judicial directive has sparked strong opposition from religious groups and pro-life advocates.

Over 14,100 manzanas of land in coastal Cortés and Atlántida are disputed by invasions that advocacy groups say cost the economy roughly $15 million a month and deter foreign investment.

Honduras and the European Union signed a five-year, €6 million ($6.9 million) agreement to boost private-sector partnerships and sustainable investments, with aims to improve competitiveness, create jobs, and strengthen regulatory frameworks while emphasizing digital transformation and inclusion of women and youth.

Honduras has recorded approximately 850 traffic fatalities through early June 2026, up 22 deaths from the same period last year, prompting authorities to pursue new prevention strategies focused on driver behavior, road infrastructure, vehicle safety, and victim care.

Congresswoman Dunia Jiménez (Libre, Cortés) has proposed exempting mortgages and small-business loans from Honduras's Tasa de Seguridad Poblacional, a fee she says raises borrowing costs and blocks access to credit for entrepreneurs and homebuyers.

Honduran armed forces report inflicting L324 million (roughly $13 million) in losses on drug trafficking networks so far in 2026 through crop destruction, lab dismantling, and seizures of cocaine, weapons, and vehicles, even as criminal groups shift routes and rebuild.

Honduras police arrested more than 183 people in early 2026 on domestic violence reports, with authorities warning that untreated patterns of repetitive abuse can escalate to homicide or femicide.

A decree proposal would gradually increase annual budget allocation to Andepcih, the national association for blind Hondurans, to 2 million lempiras (roughly $80,000) by 2027 and maintain it permanently thereafter.

Honduras's Supreme Court president Wagner Vallecillo Paredes delivered a proposed law on the Judicial Council and judicial careers to Congress's Constitutional Affairs Commission, unanimously approved by the court's full bench and representing input from judges and court employees.

The Association for a More Just Society (ASJ) reported that over L113 million (approximately $4.5 million USD) in state funds were transferred to a nonprofit during the previous administration through contracts that allegedly bypassed public-bidding requirements, with 90% of the agreements operating outside legal frameworks.

Honduras has 162 pending requests to repatriate the bodies of Hondurans who died overseas, with the Foreign Ministry offering financial aid to families who cannot afford repatriation costs and working through legal procedures that vary by circumstance of death.

President Asfura's government and the Medical College of Honduras agreed on a new salary scale, reinstatement of separated physicians, and improved benefits for health-sector workers, ending the physicians' nationwide informational assemblies.

The Asfura administration and the Inter-American Development Bank agreed to establish a technical working group to pilot an AI platform designed to identify regulatory duplications, excessive procedures, and inefficiencies across Honduran public institutions.

The Honduran business chamber (CIMEQH) called for a halt to a proposed electric-sector reform, citing risks that the legislation could drive up utility rates and lead to privatization of public power assets.

Honduras's business council submitted proposals to modernize electricity regulations under review by Congress, urging independent regulators and stable rules to strengthen the grid and attract investment.