National News

Congress unanimously approved the Transparency and Centralized Beneficial-Owner Registry Law, which aims to identify final beneficiaries of legal entities and structures to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, corruption, and organized crime.

A Honduran court ordered the Public Prosecutor's Office to return more than 60 assets to the retail company Mangys Store after the company's legal representatives proved the goods were lawfully obtained, demonstrating no connection to money laundering or other crimes.

Honduran coffee exporters say all the country's coffee farms are prepared for evaluation under new European Union requirements that ban imports from land cleared of forest, a standard for selling into European markets.

Some Honduran businesses are being fined for playing music without copyright permits, prompting Congressman Rashid Mejía to question whether the enforcement unfairly burdens entrepreneurs while artists' royalty rights remain contested.

A tropical wave and weather troughs are expected to bring heavy rainfall and thunderstorms to Honduras in the coming days.

The National Congress telecommunications committee approved a proposal requiring cable and telecom companies to remove unused cables within 60 days, with fines up to L250,000 (about $10,000) for noncompliance.

Energy analyst Salomón Ordóñez says Honduras's state power utility requires roughly L50 billion (about $2 billion) to upgrade distribution and transmission infrastructure, with private investment possible once electrical-sector reforms are approved.

Members of the Libre party blocked an entrance to Congress and staged protests against proposed energy reforms set for first debate, with the party's congressional leader Ronald Panchame saying they oppose privatization of the state utility ENEE.

Salomón Ordóñez, the former head of state utility ENEE, says Honduras faces losing competitiveness in Central America unless it tackles two decades of governance failures in its electricity system, citing Guatemala and El Salvador's successful power-sector overhauls.

Honduras's business confidence index (ICAE) reached 63.8 points in May 2026, its highest level for that month in six years, continuing an upward trend through the first half of the year.

Demand for the Central Bank's short-term reverse-repurchase operations (RVG) continues falling as banks face greater system liquidity and higher relative costs, while interbank market trading (MED) grows as an alternative funding source.

Lawmakers approved three measures to maintain and expand broadband internet in public spaces, strengthen the Alerta-HN emergency-alert system, and extend digital-inclusion services aimed at bridging Honduras's technology gap.

Jorge Hernández of the Social Forum on External Debt and Development says the International Monetary Fund has agreed to decouple discussion of Honduras's beneficial-ownership law from other conditions, a shift from prior administrations that tied its approval to broader negotiations.

Congress's Mining Commission will launch technical working groups to draft amendments to Honduras's mining law, aiming to simplify licensing procedures for small-scale artisanal miners while addressing environmental protection and community benefit.

A Congressional energy commission is drafting reforms to modernize the state-owned power utility ENEE through internal reorganization of transmission, distribution, and billing operations, while ruling out privatization and pledging to protect worker job security.

Former Central American Bank president Dante Mossi says Honduras has approved no projects from a $1.6 billion (43 billion lempira) development portfolio offered by the regional bank this year, contrasting with Nicaragua and El Salvador's active borrowing for infrastructure projects.

Finance Vice Minister Lilian Rivera said international lending institutions' backing for state utility ENEE reforms could create opportunities for future financing to strengthen and modernize Honduras's power sector.

A man has been convicted of aggravated kidnapping and rape after luring victims with false promises of employment in Honduras.

The Central Bank's analysts project Honduras's economy will grow 3.6% in 2026 and 3.8% in 2027, within the range set by the 2026–2027 monetary program.

Honduras's central bank forecasts year-over-year inflation of 4.98% by December 2026, declining to the bank's target range of 3.0%–5.0% by May 2028.

The European Union will provide approximately 15 billion euros (roughly $16 billion) to finance modernization of Honduras's electrical transmission lines.

Honduras maintains epidemiological red alert after recording its first severe dengue death in 2026 and a rise in suspected domestic measles cases, with public-health experts urging immediate vaccination campaigns and early medical care to prevent outbreaks.

A dispute over overlapping duties between the interim technical chief and the administrative director at Honduras's largest hydroelectric plant, El Cajón, is stalling procurement of vital parts needed to keep all four turbines running, according to internal communications obtained by El Heraldo.

The president of Honduras's Supreme Court says proposed reforms to combat femicide, including specialized courts with women judges, have judicial support but require state budget allocation that has not yet been secured.

A congressman has proposed a national student employment program offering tax incentives to companies hiring students aged 16–30 for part-time or flexible work compatible with their education, with full labor protections.

Congress passed first reading of a transparency bill requiring companies and trusts to disclose their beneficial owners, aiming to meet international anti-money-laundering standards and keep Honduras off the Financial Action Task Force's gray list.

The European Union's ambassador to Honduras endorsed proposed reforms to the country's electric industry law, saying the model mirrors European approaches and would improve service while lowering tariffs through renewable-energy incentives.

Telecommunications Commission member Saraí Espinal announced that cable and telecom operators will have 60 days—once Congress approves the measure—to remove unused cables and wiring from utility poles nationwide, with CONATEL overseeing compliance.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $98.3 million in its foreign-exchange tender on June 16, establishing a weighted-average exchange rate of L26.6946 per dollar for June 17.

Marco Antonio Flores, an energy researcher at UNAH, says combating electricity theft in areas with widespread illegal connections is crucial to rescuing the struggling state power utility ENEE.