National News

A proposal by Liberal congressman Yury Sabas would lower the minimum driving age to 16, permitting teenagers to operate light vehicles between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. under a reformed Traffic Law.

Congress approved a temporary waiver of fines and sanctions for 2025 election candidates who failed to file required campaign finance reports or establish separate campaign bank accounts, giving them two months to comply before penalties take effect.

Honduras's Health Secretariat has made measles vaccination mandatory for travelers heading to Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, or Canada, following confirmation of two recent imported cases; the country has recorded no domestic measles transmission since 1997.

Honduras imported 6.97 million barrels of fuel in the first three months of 2026, worth $608.2 million, a 5.8% increase from the same period last year, driven by higher demand for diesel and gasoline for vehicles and thermal power generation.

Jorge Alberto Cálix Orellana, whose brother Mario José "Cubeta" Cálix was extradited to the US on drug charges, has been appointed director of the OABI, the state agency that administers assets seized from traffickers—a move that prompted a rights lawyer to warn of potential conflicts of interest.

A proposal by the current director of Honduras's state electricity utility to reorganize its structure into three separate companies and create an independent grid operator would undermine state control and pave the way for privatization, according to former ENEE manager Erick Tejada.

The National Congress reversed its previous day's approval of a two-month extension for candidates who failed to file required campaign-finance reports, leaving them exposed to fines up to 90,000 lempiras and prosecution by the attorney general's office.

Prosecutors arrested 11 current and former Central Bank of Honduras employees, including two active managers, on suspicion of 100 counts of embezzlement tied to the systematic theft of public funds over several years.

Rights groups have recorded 108 femicides in Honduras through late May 2026, with activists noting more mutilated victims and a 95% impunity rate that leaves killers largely unpunished.

The Armed Forces will provide free medical and social services on Saturday, June 6, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at three locations across Atlántida, Francisco Morazán, and Comayagua departments.

The central bank allocated $96.3 million in its June 3 currency auction, setting the weighted average exchange rate at L26.67 per dollar for June 4.

President Nasry Asfura said his administration will not privatize the state power utility ENEE but will pursue efficiency reforms and modernization to address the company's mounting losses, which he called Honduras's main economic problem.

Honduras will offer measles vaccinations at major airports—including San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, and Roatán—for travelers heading to countries with active outbreaks; the vaccine must be administered at least 14 days before travel.

The state electricity company ENEE announced planned power cuts on June 4 in multiple regions including Tegucigalpa, Nacaome, Peña Blanca, La Lima, and Colón for scheduled maintenance, tree trimming, and equipment upgrades.

Following a deadly dump-truck accident in Tegucigalpa, Honduras's road police are launching nationwide operations to verify that heavy-truck drivers hold proper licenses and to check for speeding and impaired driving.

Congress's Family and Children Commission is leading technical talks to revise the law on sexual abuse prevention and protection for children and adolescents, citing persistent legal gaps that hinder swift justice for victims.

About 500 public-sector physicians are protesting unpaid salaries stretching two to five months back and demanding reinstatement of colleagues they say the government fired, causing partial service cuts across Honduras's public hospitals.

Coach José Francisco Molina called up Marathon defender José Aguilera, 24, as a last-minute addition to Honduras's squad for a June 6 friendly against Argentina in Texas, while injured left back Darlin Mencía trained separately.

Congresswoman Yasmy Arita introduced legislation in Congress to establish a special youth motorcycle license requiring mandatory training and exams before issuance, aiming to reduce traffic accidents and improve road safety among young riders.

Honduras's Supreme Court approved proposed reforms to femicide statutes and a law allowing release of terminally ill prisoners, offering technical observations for Congress to consider during legislative debate.

Congress is prepared to review the executive's proposal to restructure the state electricity utility ENEE to reduce its 38% loss rate—which costs the state approximately L1.3 billion monthly—and lower electricity costs for consumers.

Congressman Yury Sabas of the Liberal Party announced a bill to allow supervised driving licenses for Hondurans aged 16 to 18 with parental consent, mandatory insurance, and certified driver training, citing informal teenage driving already occurring on roads.

Weather forecasters warn that rain will return to Honduras starting Thursday, affecting multiple zones across the country.

Jorge Alberto Cálix Orellana has been appointed director of Honduras's agency that administers assets seized from drug traffickers, sparking concerns over conflict of interest because his brother Mario José Cálix—a major trafficker extradited to the US in 2024—had substantial property and accounts seized by the same institution.

Honduras's banana shipments reached $122.3 million in the first three months of 2026, up 36% year-over-year, driven by higher volumes and expanded cultivation, the Central Bank reported.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $105.1 million in its June 2 currency auction, setting the weighted average exchange rate at L26.6667 per dollar for Wednesday, June 3.

Lawyers from Colombian President Gustavo Petro's party filed a complaint with Honduras's Public Ministry against former President Juan Orlando Hernández, alleging terrorist association and crimes against humanity based on disputed audio recordings, as forensic analysis of the recordings remains inconclusive.

Honduras's Global Real Effective Exchange Rate Index held a 3.43% year-over-year gain in export competitiveness for the fourth consecutive month through April 2026, driven primarily by favorable exchange-rate movements.

The government will submit a comprehensive electricity-sector reform bill to Congress this week that would split ENEE into three functional divisions—generation, transmission, and distribution—aiming to cut system losses of nearly 38% and stabilize tariffs, officials say.

A UNAH finance professor says remittances—about 30% of GDP—sustain Honduras's currency market and millions of families but are mostly spent on consumption rather than productive investment, and the country should redirect them toward long-term economic growth.