National News

Honduras's infrastructure ministry is accepting bids for a L 1.2 billion (approximately $48 million) project to maintain over 3,100 kilometers of unpaved roads nationwide.

Dante Mossi, former president of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, criticized a proposed reform excluding bonuses from income-tax calculations, warning it could enable employers to reclassify wages as tax-free bonuses and erode government revenue.

A bill introduced in Congress by lawmaker Johana Bermúdez would guarantee free, non-discriminatory medical care, confidentiality, and social support for Hondurans living with HIV while obligating the state to ensure continuous antiretroviral drug access.

Honduras's National Congress announced agreements to return about 30 seized VIP taxis, suspend penalties from transport authorities, and establish a regulatory framework allowing VIP and digital-platform cabs to operate alongside traditional taxis, ending a conflict that had threatened further protests.

Tradable goods prices in Honduras increased 0.81% month-over-month in May, driven by external shocks from geopolitical factors that pushed up fuel prices.

A June 2026 survey by Data Veritas and Radio Cadena Voces found that 64.1% of Hondurans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, with corruption named as the leading national problem, while 74.6% disapprove of President Asfura's administration.

Honduras's power regulator confirmed a third-quarter rate increase taking effect July 1, driven by higher generation costs, fuel prices, and lempira depreciation; the exact percentage will be announced within days.

Congressman Frank Alley introduced a proposal to amend consumer-protection law requiring landlords, vehicle-rental companies, and private schools to charge in lempiras rather than dollars, arguing that these sectors do not require foreign-currency operations and that dollar pricing inflates costs for consumers.

Year-over-year inflation in Honduras reached 6.09% in May, driven partly by Middle East conflict impacts, temporarily exceeding the central bank's medium-term tolerance range of 4.00% plus or minus 1 percentage point.

The head of the Cortés Chamber of Commerce warned that a new increase to electricity rates will reduce competitiveness in the industrial region.

Said Martínez will become the first Honduran to referee a World Cup match, taking charge of Qatar vs. Switzerland on June 13, with fellow Hondurans Walter López and Christian Ramírez serving as assistants.

The Central Bank auctioned $95.3 million on June 9, setting the official exchange rate at L26.6844 per dollar for June 10.

Congress approved a law allowing Honduran migrants who return home to import household goods up to $200,000 and work equipment up to $150,000 duty-free; Finance Ministry officials have 60 days to establish the application process.

A Fosdeh economist argues that measures now being negotiated to stabilize Honduras's state electric utility must become permanent policy to prevent future administrations from reversing reforms, as has happened repeatedly.

Honduras will field its largest-ever delegation of 110 athletes across 27 sports at the Central American and Caribbean Games in the Dominican Republic, July 24–August 8, competing in four of five regional venues.

Honduras's fuel subsidy has already cost 860 million lempiras (about $34.5 million) against a budgeted 680 million, with full-year costs projected at 1.2–1.3 billion lempiras, prompting the Finance Ministry to plan internal budget adjustments and consider narrowing the subsidy to lower-income households.

Honduras's Public Ministry is investigating whether campaign funds from former Liberal presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla were illegally diverted to foreign accounts, allegations Nasralla denies as political persecution.

The Central Bank reported private-sector savings surpassed 681.7 billion lempiras as of late May 2026, up 13.9% year-over-year, driven primarily by household deposits and growing confidence in the financial system.

Natanael Martínez, a 24-year-old midfielder from Olanchito who played in US amateur tournaments and the USL League One, has signed with Marathón for the upcoming Liga Nacional seasons.

Taxi-stand operators announced an end to nationwide protests and agreed to work with Congress on a digital platform and regulatory reforms, with lawmakers pledging dialogue on licensing and competition from illegal services.

A judge issued a formal processing order with substitute measures against Daniel Alejandro Méndez on charges of misappropriation and unlawful retention and falsification of public documents, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 23.

Congress's Education Committee approved a parental-rights law giving families a say in sex education and advanced plans to repair 109 public schools nationwide, with over 300 additional school interventions pending through a government investment fund.

A 27-year-old woman from El Progreso, Yoro, who traveled to Guatemala and re-entered Honduras through an informal border crossing has tested positive for measles, the country's fourth confirmed case.

The central bank reports that credit to Honduras's private sector continues expanding, fueled by rising demand for business financing tied to stronger investment and economic activity.

Honduras's foreign-exchange inflows are growing faster than outflows, creating a positive gap driven mainly by family remittances and exports of goods and services, the Central Bank said.

Finance Minister Emilio Hércules announced that Honduras will meet with the IMF's executive board on June 29, and said he hopes the board will issue a favorable communiqué for the country.

FIFA has selected nine Central American referees—three main officials, five assistants, and a VAR specialist—for the 2026 World Cup, including Hondurans Héctor Said Martínez and Christian Ramírez and Walter López, recognizing the region's arbitration standards.

A lawmaker from the Libre party introduced a bill to establish a national registry of people convicted of sexual crimes, to be administered by the Supreme Court and accessible publicly to help prevent re-offending and protect vulnerable populations.

Congress is considering a reform to exclude performance bonuses, gratuities, and overtime pay from income-tax calculations, a move an economist says would reward worker effort but warns could enable tax evasion without proper state oversight.

Honduras received $4.13 billion in family remittances in the first four months of 2026, a 14.3% increase from the same period last year, as part of a $15.85 billion total across the Northern Triangle region.