National News

Congress President Tomás Zambrano visited the abandoned La Acequia prison to evaluate whether it should be rehabilitated or replaced with a new facility elsewhere in Honduras, with a decision expected within days.

A judge has confirmed arrest warrants for former members of the now-defunct Permanent Commission of Congress who did not voluntarily agree to appear, with 14 people facing 21 charges including former Congress president Luis Redondo.

The Economic Development Ministry released a base document for Honduras's new industrial policy, developed through consultation with 671 participants and 323 institutions and companies, aimed at modernizing production, improving competitiveness, and creating jobs.

A social enterprise led by young people with Down syndrome received regulatory approval from Honduras's health agency to formally sell food products, aiming to create employment and economic independence for people with disabilities.

Over 200 job openings across operations, technical, and service roles were offered by more than 50 private companies and public institutions at a major employment fair organized by the National Professional Training Institute, as young Hondurans reported struggles finding work despite sending applications for months.

Honduran rambutan (locally called licha) exports reached $6.05 million in 2024, a 16.3% increase from the prior year, with about 2,500 farmers and 3,000 farms supplying the crop mainly to the United States, Europe, and Asia.

The lawyer for Edis Moncada, former manager of the state graphics company ENAG, asked the Supreme Court on Friday to allow his client to appear voluntarily for arraignment rather than be arrested, challenging the arrest warrant as disproportionate and alleging procedural violations.

Egg carton prices have jumped by up to 27 lempiras (about $1.08) in recent months, a rise that former Honduran Press Association president Osman Reyes says is eroding Hondurans' purchasing power.

Supreme Court criminal-chamber judge Mario Díaz has called on Congress to approve a witness-cooperation law, saying it would give judges and prosecutors broader tools to investigate and dismantle organized-crime networks.

Honduras's dropout rate fell to 1.31% in 2026 from 2.42% a year earlier, Education Minister Ivette Argueta said, while about 24,000 students have left their home municipalities—partly due to drought—posing a challenge for keeping them enrolled.

Honduras's Medical College has called an assembly for Saturday to discuss a 47-day pay dispute affecting about 727 doctors, and warns it will extend protests Monday unless the government convenes talks with Health and Finance officials to review pending cases.

Congressman Flavio Nájera opposes lowering the age of criminal responsibility and instead proposes increasing sentences for minors convicted of crimes to 15 years or more.

Honduras's net international reserves reached $11.6 billion as of October 22, up $1.3 billion since January, providing coverage for 6.7 months of imports.

A Supreme Court judge confirmed that the criminal case against former members of Congress's Permanent Commission will proceed under judicial secrecy at the prosecution's request, with 12 defendants scheduled for initial testimony hearings next week, as authorities seek to protect evidence.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $79.4 million in its October 23 currency sale, setting the weighted average exchange rate at L26.9002 per dollar for October 24–26.

China's embassy in Honduras held a literary competition awards ceremony at the National Autonomous University, recognizing Honduran writers for short stories celebrating friendship between the two nations, with Rafael Eduardo Medina Zepeda taking first place.

A national food-security researcher warns that rising prices for staples are forcing poor Hondurans to replace nutritious foods with cheaper options, increasing malnutrition risk, especially for children under five, pregnant women, and the elderly.

The government froze electricity rates to prevent a 20% surge from power contracts signed by the previous administration, shielding household budgets and the economy while recent rainfall boosts hydroelectric generation.

An appeals court upheld charges against ten former executives of Honduras's teacher pension institute (INPREMA) for allegedly embezzling L34.4 million (about $1.4 million) in public funds through irregular contracts for a professional association headquarters.

Honduras coach José Francisco Molina said midfielder Kervin Arriaga asked not to be called up for November matches after explaining personal issues preventing him from performing at his best, though Molina did not disclose the specific problems.

Health authorities confirmed eight chikungunya cases in Honduras this year, including community transmission in Alauca, El Paraíso, near the Nicaragua border, after an infected Honduran returned from Nicaragua.

Consumer Protection Director Daniel Lou warned that inspectors will penalize merchants charging more than the agreed 8-lempira (about $0.32) cap per carton of eggs above the previous price, after authorities detected some sellers exceeding the limit set with producers representing 80% of the market.

The proposed 455.4-billion-lempira budget for 2027 would reduce public investment by 17.3% year-over-year to 39.9 billion lempiras (about $1.6 billion), with productive investment falling 34%, according to business-group analysis.

The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean cut its 2026 regional growth forecast to 2% from 2.2% due to geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions, but Honduras is projected to grow 3.5%, outpacing most peers in the region.

The Public Ministry has issued an arrest warrant for former National Congress president Luis Redondo on charges of unlawfully disrupting government institutions, usurping functions, and abuse of office related to actions of the now-defunct permanent congressional commission during the 2025 electoral process; police say he is currently outside Honduras.

Honduran workers harvesting strawberries in Spain's Huelva region can earn roughly 62 euros (L1,865) per day for six-and-a-half-hour shifts from January to June, with employers covering airfare to Spain and providing free housing but not meals, though workers must pay their own return flights.

After 47 days of protests, Honduras's Health Ministry pledged to pay 727 doctors owed back wages on October 23, even as President Nasry Asfura, who also serves as health minister, was traveling in Italy; patients at major hospitals report long waits and shortages of medical supplies.

An energy analyst warns Honduras could face an unfavorable International Monetary Fund evaluation because state utility ENEE has failed to meet targets for reducing electricity distribution losses, a goal tied to the country's IMF program.

Lawyer Raúl Paniagua says Honduras's public ministry can request extradition of Luis Redondo, the former National Congress president facing criminal charges, if he remains outside Honduras and a fiscal indictment is filed.

Honduras's weather authority forecasts weak showers and drizzle this weekend in the northwest, north, and some mountainous central areas, while southern, eastern, and coastal regions remain dry.