National News

The Pedro Nufio teacher-training school is among 58 educational institutions participating in the Judicial Branch's Legal Education in Human Rights program, which has trained 374 teachers to promote civic formation and a culture of peace.

Drought linked to El Niño has pushed Honduras's disaster agency (COPECO) to place 75 municipalities in the dry corridor under indefinite yellow alert, while 49 remain on green alert and 113 are under monitoring for reduced rainfall across six departments.

Congressman Javier Vaquero (Libre) introduced a proposal to establish a national social-housing system allowing renters to build equity toward homeownership, targeting Hondurans excluded from traditional bank mortgages.

Police say 793 men filed complaints of domestic abuse, maltreatment, and domestic violence in Honduras through July 2026, with authorities arresting 65 women in connection with the cases.

The National Congress unanimously approved a motion directing its Family Commission to coordinate with prosecutors, police, and health regulators to investigate clandestine organizations that openly promote abortion services via social media and digital platforms, despite abortion being constitutionally banned and criminalized in Honduras.

Weak enforcement at checkpoints allows overloaded and illegally modified heavy vehicles to operate without IHTT permits, despite rising death tolls from traffic accidents; the DNVT recorded 1,128 road deaths so far in 2026.

After seven weeks of fuel price declines totaling 15–20 lempiras per gallon, Honduras's petroleum distributors say food and service prices have not fallen proportionally, while the government's consumer protection office reports that 16 basic-basket items did drop in Tegucigalpa markets.

Congressman Antonio Rivera Callejas says Congress will vote to extend by three to five months the deadline for the CNE electoral board to seat its third full board member, allowing it to meet quorum with a substitute member in the interim.

Congress unanimously approved a measure requiring the emergency agency Copeco, the Agriculture Ministry, and the municipal association Amhon to report within two weeks on drought conditions affecting 75 municipalities in the Dry Corridor, where El Niño has cut rainfall by half.

Honduras's national sports authority is negotiating its first cooperation agreement with Brazil to boost athlete training, coaching, and federation development by tapping Brazil's sporting expertise.

Honduras is spending 62 million lempiras (roughly $2.5 million) to aid 75 municipalities hit by El Niño-driven drought, with 38 facing the highest food-security risks and receiving priority support for water, food, health care, and irrigation.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $112.1 million in a foreign-exchange sale on July 21, setting a weighted average exchange rate of L26.7744 per dollar for July 22.

Honduras's Supreme Court confirmed the suspension of the red alert and arrest warrants against former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is set to return to the country Sunday and appear before a court Monday for the Pandora II case, with defense motions to be ruled on only once the hearing begins.

Honduras is deploying traffic-control brigades on the CA-5 highway near Amarateca to combat drunk driving, speeding, and traffic violations, with plans to expand the surveillance strategy to high-risk roads nationwide.

Honduras's emergency agency raised drought alerts across 237 of the country's 298 municipalities due to reduced rainfall linked to El Niño, with 75 municipalities in the dry corridor placed under yellow alert indefinitely.

COHEP is hosting a webinar on July 29 at 9:00 a.m. on commercial opportunities in Mesoamerica, aimed at helping Honduran private-sector companies explore regional competitive advantages and economic integration.

Over 30,000 sacks of food worth 4,000 lempiras (about $154) per household are being distributed across 12 municipalities in Honduras's dry corridor to 15,229 families who lost crops to drought.

Economist Julio Raudales says the Central Bank of Honduras's inflation target of 5–6% is reachable if monetary policy remains disciplined and external shocks do not occur, though he cautions that balancing price control with economic growth remains a key challenge.

The president of the Cortés Chamber of Commerce warns that crime and weak rule of law are deterring both foreign and domestic companies from investing, expanding operations, and creating jobs in Honduras.

Honduras's state electricity company will cut power in various sectors on July 22 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for distribution-network maintenance aimed at improving reliability and reducing future disruptions.

Honduras received 23,420 deported citizens from January through June 2026—roughly five per hour—straining families and communities with demands for job reintegration and access to basic services.

Following a first phase in which mobile medical units served nearly 17,000 patients, Honduras's Health Ministry is deploying the clinics to Tambla, La Libertad, and La Lima to extend free care to underserved communities.

Deputy Sports Minister Armando Vinicio Valdés said CONDEPOR is prioritizing completion of 44 stalled sports infrastructure projects nationwide while also studying plans for a new Olympic Village and decentralized training centers for elite athletes.

Honduran onion producers say they may suspend planting next season if the government fails to enforce a 2023 agricultural decree that restricts imports when local supplies are sufficient, warning of potential national shortages and market disruption.

The research organization Sendas called for energy-sector reform to be built on political independence, reduced technical losses, financial recovery, greater market competition, and accountable leadership to address ENEE's structural crisis, which cost the utility about $530 million in uncollected revenue during 2025.

Honduras's Property Institute is collecting annual vehicle registration fees on a staggered schedule through December, with an amnesty allowing owners to catch up on 2025 and earlier unpaid fees without penalties, while projecting revenue of L5.4 billion (about $216 million).

Ronald Panchamé, head of the Libre congressional bloc, announced the party will present a counterproposal to the government's electric-sector reform bill currently under discussion.

Geographer Carlos Héctor Sabillón warned that Honduras faces water shortages from decades of poor planning and urged the government to adopt a long-term national strategy to capture rainfall, reforest watersheds, and build storage infrastructure.

Central Bank President Roberto Lagos said Honduras holds $11.5 billion in international reserves—enough to cover 6.7 months of imports—and projects 3.5% economic growth this year, though he cautioned that energy-sector reforms are needed to attract investment and push growth above 4%.

Community Medical Care Units (UMAC) served over 16,900 people in their first deployment round and are now expanding to rural areas in Lempira, Francisco Morazán, and Cortés.