Congress

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 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.

Honduras's Supreme Court has recommended that Congress reinstate the Effective Collaboration Law, a mechanism allowing prosecutors to work with organized-crime figures to dismantle criminal structures and reach higher-level leaders with verifiable evidence.

Osman Chávez, a former two-time World Cup player turned congressman, said he faces only a usurpation-of-office allegation related to his work on Congress's Permanent Commission and called for press responsibility in coverage of his case.

Congressman Fabricio Sandoval of the Libre party filed a voluntary appearance before the Supreme Court in a judicial proceeding involving former members of Congress's permanent commission.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano has not ruled out a popular referendum to let citizens decide whether minors involved in gangs and organized crime should be tried as adults, a proposal drawing debate among legal experts about constitutional limits and international child-protection obligations.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano traveled to El Salvador with members of the legislative security commission to tour the Cecot terrorism prison and explore legal reforms and security cooperation between the two countries to combat organized crime.

Congress president Tomás Zambrano announced plans to approve 10 to 12 anti-crime decrees, funded jointly by the government and legislature, targeting gangs and organized crime.

The National Congress returns to session on Monday, October 12, with electoral reforms, the 2027 general budget, and pending committee reports on the agenda, followed by a mobile session in Danlí on October 14.

Legal experts argue that Honduras's three operating Special Economic Zones (ZEDEs) lack the required congressional decrees establishing their creation, raising questions about whether they were lawfully established under the constitution and organic law.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano announced that Honduras will host the 2028 Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum, a gathering of regional lawmakers expected to address security, organized crime, and climate change.

Though Honduras mandates that 40% of electoral candidates be women, only 38 of 128 lawmakers elected in November 2025 are female (29.7%), a gap the UN Development Programme attributes to parties placing women candidates in uncompetitive positions.

Honduras's proposed 2027 budget includes a provision classifying spending by Congress, the Presidential Office, and the national sports commission (Condepor) as reserved information, contravening the transparency and access-to-information law.

Members of the Libre party staged a protest in the lobby of the National Congress after being barred from entering the legislative chamber for wearing shirts opposing fuel-price increases, sparking a tense verbal confrontation with Nationalist party members.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano announced plans to convene fuel importers, distributors, gas stations, and business sectors to explore relief measures against rising diesel prices, while also pledging education infrastructure upgrades and AI training for 60,000 teachers.

Tomás Zambrano, president of the National Congress, said Honduras will combat gang violence and organized crime through new anti-terrorism legislation and reforms rather than declaring a state of exception, which he said suspends rights for the entire population.

Congress inaugurated its first regional office in San Pedro Sula, where representatives from all four political parties in Cortés will work to serve constituents and municipal officials without requiring travel to Tegucigalpa.

Gabriela Castellanos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Council, warned that Congress is using procedural maneuvers—including reconsideration of approved acts—that echo discredited 2017 tactics and risk enabling corruption and impunity.

Civil-society groups have proposed that the 128 deputies and 298 mayors elected in November 2029 serve only two years instead of four, with midterm legislative elections in 2031 following the U.S. model, to separate simultaneous presidential, congressional, and municipal ballots that officials say create logistical chaos and slow result reporting.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano announced plans to vet justice-system officials for ties to criminal activity, following congressional approval of reforms that tighten confinement rules for gang and terrorist-organization members.

Honduras's anti-corruption council says Congress has failed to update internal procedures to match a 2026 reform that expanded lawmakers' ability to reconsider and modify approved legislative acts, creating legal ambiguity and risking abuse by parliamentary minorities.

Congress Security Commission president Marco Paz said the current security reform package focuses on changes to the National Penitentiary and police forces, while any proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility remains under debate with no concrete proposal yet.

Congressman Adolfo Ráquel, citing Directorio Legislativo data, claims Honduran legislators earn $3,833 a month—the lowest in Latin America—netting about 70,000 lempiras (roughly $2,800) after deductions from a gross salary of around 90,000 lempiras.

Congress and the National Penitentiary Institute met to discuss and approve reforms to strengthen security in Honduras's prisons, including special controls on communications and maximum-security transfers for members of organizations designated as terrorist groups.

Ten civil-society organizations, supported by the UN Development Programme, delivered a package of electoral reforms to Congress President Tomás Zambrano and the National Electoral Council, as lawmakers prepare to negotiate competing proposals on voting procedures.

The National Congress returns to session on Monday, September 21, after a recess for Children's Day and Independence Day, implementing a four-day work week through the end of September to clear 14 stalled bills from a prioritized package and debate electoral reforms, criminal-justice changes, and the 2027 budget.

A Libre lawmaker endorsed a localized state of emergency in municipalities with high violence, saying past applications reduced homicides and calling for human-rights oversight and temporary rather than permanent deployment.

President Tomás Zambrano of the National Congress announced the executive branch has submitted the 2027 budget of approximately 455.4 billion lempiras (about $18.2 billion), emphasizing drought relief, water infrastructure, and security as priorities and setting an expected approval vote for mid-December.

Congress says it will wait for the National Security Council to decide whether to impose a localized state of exception in high-crime areas before deciding what legislative action, if any, it will take.

Congress and transport leaders agreed to form a technical committee to evaluate reducing fuel taxes, citing pressure from international price rises and operational costs; the talks will also address permits, maintenance expenses, and security concerns affecting drivers.