Honduras Politics News

Honduras's campaign finance watchdog (UFTF) fined former Liberal presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla for campaign funding irregularities, sparking accusations of political persecution from allies while anti-corruption officials backed the decision.

Honduras's Superior Audit Tribunal plans to formally approve the start of audits in October into the tenures of former Supreme Court presidents Rebeca Ráquel Obando (three years) and Rolando Argueta (seven years, 2016–2023), following a request from the current court magistrates.

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

President Asfura's government plans to propose a state of exception to the National Security Council for at least 30 municipalities hit by criminal gangs and forced displacement, though the exact municipalities and scope remain undefined.

A US House Democrats report suggests that efforts to secure Donald Trump's pardon for former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández were tied to business interests in Próspera, the economic zone that Hernández enabled during his presidency.

Honduras's campaign-finance watchdog fined 556 candidates from the 2025 elections a combined L51 million (about $2 million) for failing to file disclosures, while former presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla faces a separate L146 million fine for unreported donations.

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.

Five years after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Honduras to remedy exploitation and unsafe conditions faced by Miskito subsistence divers, the state has only partially implemented remedies, leaving the community vulnerable to ongoing labor abuses by private fishing companies.

Cohep, Honduras's main business confederation, is preparing a revised bill on hourly employment to present to Congress, seeking to address shortcomings in earlier labor legislation and boost job creation.

Honduras's electoral financing watchdog will release a report on campaign funding that includes scrutiny of former liberal presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla's finances, with allegations of unexplained resources and possible use of third-party accounts.

Attorney Ramón Barrios says Próspera's appointment of a civil prosecutor violates Honduras's Constitution by creating an exceptional jurisdiction the Supreme Court already ruled illegal, and called on the Public Ministry to investigate potential criminal liability.

Congresswoman Erika Urtecho from Gracias a Dios is demanding the government consult with indigenous and Afro-Caribbean communities under ILO Convention 169 before proceeding with oil-exploration technical work in La Mosquitia, citing concerns from local fishers and divers.

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.

Honduras's new BIEN digital wallet, which interconnects national databases for identity, security, and migration, was developed by a consortium led by International Technology Group (ITG), a firm linked to a multi-million-dollar Social Security contract under investigation and a cancelled customs deal, raising concerns about data protections in a country without a data-privacy law.

Heavy-transport union leader Edgardo Menéndez said his regulated members did not participate in violent protests and road blockades near El Zamorano, blaming unregulated carriers, and noted his sector has already reached a fuel-cost agreement with the government.

Lawmakers are debating electoral reforms that would introduce a second-round runoff vote and impose restrictions on the political use of government office by sitting officials, with a deadline set for approval by January 24, 2027.

The Supreme Court of Accounts reported over a year ago that a failed irrigation project in El Paraíso's Jamastrán Valley squandered more than $8.5 million of a $26.5 million Indian loan due to poor planning and administrative failures, but the Public Ministry has not prosecuted anyone despite receiving audit findings.

President Nasry Asfura said his administration is analyzing whether to reinstate a state of exception—a measure that suspends ordinary law in targeted municipalities or departments—to strengthen security in zones with the highest violence, though he has not yet identified which areas would be affected.

Javier Talavera, a lawyer serving as director of the National Agrarian Institute (INA), died Sunday morning in a Tegucigalpa hospital after his condition worsened overnight; colleagues and campesino organizations linked to the INA expressed condolences.

The Interior Ministry announced that public employees will have September 14–15 off to observe Honduras's independence holidays.

Dozens of Hondurans carrying torches and signs marched peacefully to Casa Presidencial on Friday demanding government action on the country's water shortage and opposing recent energy reforms approved by Congress.

Honduras's courts ended 2025 with 43,006 unresolved cases out of 129,997 filed, a 33% backlog rate; Supreme Court magistrates say hiring more judges—paired with performance targets and better budgeting—is essential to reduce delays and improve case resolution.

President Nasry Asfura distanced himself from former campaign digital adviser Fernando Cerimedo, an Argentine detained in Bolivia on accusations including attempted femicide, money laundering, and suspected drug trafficking ties, saying Cerimedo is responsible for his own actions.

A congressional decree expanding the temporary mandates of National Electoral Council (CNE) counselors expired today, but the officials will continue serving while lawmakers seek consensus on permanent replacements.

Honduras's Supreme Court declared Sept. 14 a judicial holiday for Independence Day festivities but ordered all scheduled hearings and essential court operations to proceed as normal.

Tegucigalpa's city government has declared a ban on the sale, distribution, and consumption of alcohol on September 15 along Boulevard Suyapa and at the National Stadium during Independence Day celebrations, with fines of 5,000–15,000 lempiras for violations.

The Appeals Court in Francisco Morazán is reviewing a defense motion while the preliminary hearing against Roosevelt Hernández, the former head of Honduras's Joint Chiefs of Staff, remains suspended; Hernández faces charges for publicly attacking journalists in 2025.

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").

Diana Medina, the former head of the child-prosecution office, called on Honduras to adopt a specialized law coordinating institutional response to sexual violence against children, citing Guatemala's model and Honduras's international obligations to protect minors.