Honduras Politics News

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 municipal association (AMHON) and the UN Development Program signed a four-year memorandum to strengthen local governance, advance decentralization, and promote sustainable development across Honduran municipalities.

A proposed legislative reform would permit authorities to use more than 353 million lempiras (about $14 million) seized in the Koriun Inversiones scheme to combat crime, leaving investors uncertain whether they could recover their money if the case results in acquittal.

Honduran congressional security committees will travel to El Salvador to study the CECOT high-security prison model as lawmakers weigh penal reforms to combat organized crime.

Honduras lawmakers are advancing criminal-justice reforms targeting gangs and maras that human-rights experts warn echo authoritarian measures from Nicaragua under Ortega and security policies in El Salvador, citing concerns over warrantless home searches and extended detention periods.

President Nasry Asfura will attend the 2027 Latin America and Caribbean Economic Forum in Panama City on January 27–28, organized by Panama's government and the CAF development bank.

Congress is advancing reforms to criminal codes that would allow gang-related tattoos—including numbers 13 and 18, letters MS, and associated symbols—to serve as evidence in prosecutions of members of MS-13, Barrio 18, and Cártel del Diablo, which were recently declared terrorist organizations.

Congress unanimously approved two motions: one to fund a topographic study for a water-supply project serving five municipalities in El Paraíso Department, and another requesting L1.5 billion (about $60 million) in support for coffee growers facing economic pressures.

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.

A technical commission is evaluating the closure or consolidation of roughly 10 state agencies by 2027, based on budget performance and whether entities fulfill their mandated functions, to redirect resources toward security, health, and infrastructure.

Honduras stated that free passage through international straits is a national interest, arguing that tolls on maritime crossings raise fuel costs for Honduran families.

A human-rights attorney says proposed changes to Honduras's penal code risk allowing warrantless raids and vague terrorism charges that could criminalize land and environmental defenders and political dissidents, citing public distrust in the judiciary.

Citizens and water-rights groups staged a protest outside Tegucigalpa's city hall to oppose Mayor Juan Diego Zelaya's overtures to the Israeli firm Mekorot for water advisory services, citing concerns over privatization.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found that Honduras has failed to implement protective measures for indigenous Tolupán members of the MADJ (Broad Movement for Justice and Dignity) living in San Francisco Locomapa, Yoro, who remain at risk.

A new law takes effect authorizing the government to budget and pay settlement claims from workers who served in social programs including Vida Mejor, Mejores Familias, and Guías de Familia, with payments to be made monthly over up to 18 months.

The National Congress extended amnesty programs for tax, municipal, vehicle, Social Security, water, and electricity obligations through December 31, 2026, to give Hondurans more time to settle arrears amid economic hardship.

A congressman has proposed reducing the municipal tax on converting land titles from useful-domain to full-domain status from 10% to 3%, saying it would ease real-estate transactions and spur housing, industrial, and urban development, particularly in San Pedro Sula where about 80% of property titles operate under the useful-domain arrangement.

An OECD integrity and anti-corruption report finds that Costa Rica alone among four Central American countries has all four key safeguards—ethical codes for judges and prosecutors, advisory bodies, and whistleblower protections—while Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic have codes but lack institutional mechanisms to enforce them consistently.

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.

Humberto Figueroa, former president of the Judicial Employees Association, is urging Congress to pass the Judicial Council Law, which would convert hundreds of temporary and interim court staff to permanent positions and enable transparent hiring practices.

Luis Zelaya, leader of the Liberal Party, has proposed 12 electoral reforms including runoff presidential elections, a reduction in the number of lawmakers, and depoliticization of electoral bodies, arguing that restoring democratic credibility requires structural changes to Honduras's political system.

Honduras prevailed in an international investment dispute brought by CA JLL Capital at the CIADI tribunal, avoiding a $460 million (roughly 12 billion lempira) judgment based on jurisdictional objections raised during the previous administration.

Congress approved reforms allowing the CNE and Electoral Court to continue operating under temporary leadership while vacancies from impeachments remain unfilled.

Congress voted to allow immediate use of assets seized in legal proceedings to fund security and law-enforcement agencies, allocating 25% each to Defense and Security, 15% to the Public Ministry, and 10% to other crime-fighting bodies, with the Finance Ministry guaranteeing repayment if courts rule in a defendant's favor.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano introduced a bill to repeal a budget provision that limits labor-settlement agreements with the State to 80% of benefits paid over three years, arguing that settlement terms should be left to voluntary negotiation between the parties.

A congressman has proposed raising prison terms to 2–5 years for impaired drivers of light vehicles and 5–10 years for heavy vehicles, with the stated goal of reducing traffic deaths tied to alcohol and drug use.

Honduras's consumer-protection law and Constitution prohibit store staff from singling out customers for surveillance based on appearance, skin color, or social class; those who experience such discrimination can file a complaint with the consumer protection office or call 115.

Congress president Tomás Zambrano ordered the national power utility to implement a debt-forgiveness program for approximately 80,000–100,000 low-consumption households (under 250 kilowatts) without additional requirements beyond verifying existing debt, as mandated by the Energy Justice Law passed in August.

Human-rights lawyers are warning that Honduras's new anti-terrorism law grants the National Defense and Security Council broad power to intervene in territories and suspend constitutional guarantees without proper Congressional oversight.

Congress expects to vote soon on security reforms including measures to deny substitute sentences to gang members, regulate gang tattoos, and extend detention-hearing deadlines to 48 hours, pending a Supreme Court legal opinion due next week.