Libre Party

Weekly torch-lit protests by Libre bases and university students in Tegucigalpa, which began in June to oppose fuel costs and ENEE privatization, have attracted fewer than 1,000 participants and are losing momentum despite organizers' claims of growing support.

Congressman Fabricio Sandoval of the Libre party confirmed he will appear before the Supreme Court on October 29 at 10:00 a.m. for a pretrial hearing in a case related to the now-defunct Permanent Commission of the previous National Congress.

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.

Olancho congressman Rafael Sarmiento formally announced his presidential precandidacy for the Partido Libertad y Refundación (Libre) on Saturday in Juticalpa, positioning himself as an alternative to the current government.

Former president and Libre party coordinator José Manuel Zelaya, who traveled to Mexico for specialized medical evaluations, confirmed he has cancer and will continue treatment in Honduras over nearly two years, describing the prescribed regimen as less aggressive than typical oncology treatments.

Manuel Zelaya, the Libre party coordinator, returned to Honduras on October 15 after receiving medical discharge in Mexico for a heart condition, saying he will resume party activities while continuing outpatient treatment at home.

Honduras's Liquidating Commission found that the former Libre government's Strategic Planning Secretariat paid 54 million lempiras (about $2.16 million) over 18 months to a Venezuelan adviser who profiled media outlets and journalists by political alignment and advised on promoting democratic socialism messaging.

Former President Manuel Zelaya, leader of the Libre party, denied social media reports of his death and confirmed he is undergoing treatment for a condition affecting several organs, which he says may continue for a couple of years.

The Public Ministry has requested preliminary proceedings against five members of Congress from the Libre party and two former Social Development Ministry officials on suspicion of fraud and breach of official duties harming the state.

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.

Melvin Cevallos, a Libre party activist, appeared for a preliminary hearing on Monday on charges of electoral coercion and threats related to protests he led on July 7, 2025, that disrupted a CNE event involving the TREP election-results system.

A Libre congressman introduced a bill to temporarily reduce fuel prices in Honduras, aiming to ease costs for households and sectors dependent on transportation.

Melvin Cevallos, a Libre party organizer, was arrested on charges of coercion and electoral threats related to protests that allegedly disrupted the 2025 election's voting-results transmission system, but a judge ordered him released pending trial.

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.

The campaign finance oversight unit UFTF confirmed that all 104 candidates elected by the LIBRE party submitted their required financial disclosures on time.

Honduras's College of Journalists called for prosecutors to investigate Libre politician Rixi Moncada over recent statements they say denigrate the press and recalled her role as Defense Ministry secretary during alleged attacks on reporters by military leadership.

An investigation found that former Libre congressman Andrés Castro directed L3.6 million (about $145,000) in Sedesol social aid to a ghost patronato and beneficiaries linked to an internal Libre faction and allied businesses, with at least L1.5 million (about $60,000) in food vouchers unaccounted for.

Octavio Pineda, a former infrastructure minister under Xiomara Castro, confirmed his presidential candidacy for the Libre party and said he would adopt El Salvador's strict gang-enforcement model—including detention without judicial warrants and military deployment—if elected.

A Libre congresswoman said her party opposes electoral law reforms presented to Congress this week unless Libre gains representation on the National Electoral Council and Electoral Justice Court, arguing it merits a seat as one of the three largest political forces.

A congressman from the Libre party has proposed a law to establish workplace rights and safety protections for women engaged in paid sex work, addressing what he says is a regulatory gap that has left them vulnerable to discrimination and violence.

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.

José Manuel Zelaya Rosales, who resigned as defense minister in 2024 after a video implicated his father in meetings with drug traffickers, now works as an advisor to a Libre city councilor in Tegucigalpa, the mayor confirmed.

A Libre congressman argues that collecting millions owed by large corporations to the state electricity utility ENEE would shore up its finances and make privatization unnecessary, and has called for public disclosure of the major delinquent accounts.

Leaders and supporters of the opposition Libre party marched through the capital calling for an end to President Nasry Asfura's administration, rallying under the slogan "Fuera la racha" (roughly, "Out with this government").

The opposition LIBRE party faction says the government's draft energy reform is privatization disguised as modernization and is calling for a popular referendum, arguing that Hondurans—not lawmakers or private interests—should decide the future of the state-owned utility ENEE.