Honduras Politics News

A Libre party congresswoman, Dunia Jiménez, has introduced legislation to permanently halve the Siglo XXI municipal vehicle tax in San Pedro Sula, arguing that rising living costs and multi-vehicle households — where families can pay up to L15,000 (about $600) a year — have overburdened working-class budgets.

An anticorruption council and civil-society coalition submitted a package of 87 electoral reforms covering constitutional changes, election administration, political financing, and electoral crimes, including runoff elections, citizen poll observers, and early voting for disabled voters.

A 50% vehicle registration discount for Honduran adults over 60 and retirees, approved by Congress in late July 2026, never went into effect and left seniors without the promised benefit as the annual registration period began July 1.

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

Honduras's appellate court confirmed a ruling ordering the seizure of $4.2 million tied to a pandemic-era mobile-hospital purchase, funds now held in U.S. bank accounts that the government will seek to recover through international legal assistance once the sentence becomes final.

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.

Congress Energy Commission member Eder Mejía said the government's electric-sector reforms, which would forgive debts for users consuming under 200 kWh monthly, freeze rates for six months, and regularize illegal connections, are expected to be published in the official gazette next week.

Honduras Undersecretary of State Pamela Handal Rivera and El Salvador's Deputy Foreign Minister Adriana Mira signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between their countries' diplomatic institutes.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Mireya Agüero and Seychelles's Foreign Minister Barry Faure signed a joint communiqué formally establishing diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Honduras's traffic authority is evaluating outsourcing the production and printing of driver's licenses to a private company starting in 2027 to address chronic shortages of plastic material, though the DNVT commissioner has not confirmed whether the move would raise fees for users.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano announced a proposed reform that would allow funds seized from organized crime to fund police, prosecutors, courts, and the military even before final conviction, rather than holding them during ongoing trials.

Honduras's Constitutional Court admitted a constitutional appeal filed on behalf of Scherly Arriaga against a prosecution decision denying her access to investigative files related to the Permanent Commission case.

Honduras's campaign-finance authority (UFTF) sanctioned former Liberal presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla L146.4 million (about $5.9 million) for failing to disclose 21 private donations totaling L73.2 million, which Nasralla contests as political persecution while party leadership denies involvement in his campaign finances.

Attorney General Pablo Emilio Reyes is requesting a budget increase to L2.9 billion (about $116 million) and roughly double or triple the current 796 prosecutors to strengthen the Public Ministry's capacity to investigate organized crime and pursue serious offenses.

A proposal by liberal congressman Marlon Lara would strengthen oversight and control of chemical precursors used to make synthetic drugs like fentanilo, with education, monitoring, and sanctions aimed at protecting young people and national security.

Congressman Carlos Umaña proposed legislation to shield gamblers and their families from losing property and savings through uncontrolled betting at casinos and gaming establishments, including a mechanism for voluntary self-exclusion.

A technical reform panel delivered proposals to Honduras's electoral authority (UFTF) to strengthen political campaign-finance regulation, including an independent budget, autonomy from the electoral council (CNE), merit-based appointments, and a public registry of private donors.

Honduras's campaign-finance watchdog (UFTF) defended a 146.4-million-lempira fine against former presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla, saying the investigation lasted over a month and found undisclosed private donations of 73.2 million lempiras that were not properly reported.

Security Minister Gerzon Velásquez said the government is studying a proposal to contract a private company to manage driver's license issuance starting in 2027, aiming to eliminate procurement delays that have disrupted the supply of specialized materials and printing equipment.

ENEE Manager Guillermo Peña Panting said Congress-approved energy reforms are not being modified and outlined a timeline for implementation once published in the official gazette, including meetings with multilateral lenders and planning for resources, staffing, and technical support.

The Honduran Congress referred a bill regulating chemical precursors used in clandestine drug labs to the Defense Committee, with backing from Defense, Security, and Health officials.

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.

The Labor Committee of Congress began reviewing private-sector concerns about the part-time employment law approved in March, with proposals expected in coming days to address minimum weekly hours, special provisions for teachers and doctors, and new digital and creative-economy sectors.

Lawmakers unanimously approved a motion to enforce a 2016 decree exempting public soccer fields and parks nationwide from paying for electricity, citing a decade-long failure by the state utility ENEE to apply the law and noting that youth sports programs are being harmed.

Honduras was unanimously elected to host the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government in 2028, a gathering of leaders from 22 nations that officials say positions the country as a destination for investment and cooperation.

Honduras's campaign finance authority, the UFTF, confirmed it is investigating former presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla for irregularities including late-reported private donations and funds moved through a personal account, with findings referred to prosecutors.

A National Congress deputy introduced legislation to officially designate turquoise blue as the color of Honduras's national flag's upper and lower stripes, aiming to ensure uniform representation in official settings and public buildings.

A proposal by Liberal congressman Francis Cabrera would assign municipalities authority to issue local cargo and passenger-transport permits while giving the national transport institute (IHTT) authority over intercity service, aiming to streamline approval processes.

Honduras's Liberal Party lawmakers met with International Committee of the Red Cross representatives to support a proposed law establishing protections for disappeared persons and their families, including a national search system and unified registry.

Foreign Minister Mireya Agüero met her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha at the 81st UN General Assembly, signing a Honduras-Ukraine cooperation roadmap for 2026–2029.