Honduras Politics News

Congress president Tomás Zamrano signed an agreement joining the National Congress to the Open Government Partnership, a multilateral initiative aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.

Congressman Rumy Bueso said the Liberal caucus rejects the government's energy reforms, arguing they weaken state utility ENEE, and will introduce a counterproposal to strengthen the public company without privatization.

The Supreme Court postponed its review of a constitutional challenge filed by Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, leaving his arrest warrant active as he remains a fugitive pending trial for his alleged role in a death during the 2009 political crisis.

Julissa Villanueva, former security undersecretary, is outside Honduras and did not appear at the anti-corruption unit ATIC's offices; her legal team requested permission to testify via Zoom.

Honduras will send a congressional delegation to Washington on August 5 to defend its impeachment process before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which cited concerns about due-process protections and judicial independence.

Former government official Julissa Villanueva denied Monday that she received a formal summons from the Special Prosecutor's Office, contradicting the public ministry's claim that she failed to appear for questioning, and said she is ready to testify once properly served.

Congress began briefing all five political caucuses and mayors' associations on a proposed investment law designed to attract capital for hospitals, ports, infrastructure, and other projects by guaranteeing legal security and property rights.

A poll shows 55.3% of Hondurans disapprove of President Trump's pardon of former president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted in New York in 2024 on drug-trafficking and weapons charges and returned to Honduras on July 26.

A San Pedro Sula court scheduled a retrial of ex-mayor Oscar Eduardo Kilgore López on illicit enrichment charges for November 30–December 3.

Former president Juan Orlando Hernández landed at Palmerola International Airport on Sunday, July 26, after receiving a US presidential pardon following his narcotics conviction, and now faces a separate Honduran judicial process in the Pandora II corruption case.

A proposal from Congressman Erik Alvarado would eliminate the sales tax (ISV) on orthopedic equipment, wheelchairs, medical supplies, and breastfeeding products, aiming to lower costs for people with disabilities, those needing ongoing medical care, and nursing mothers.

The National Congress heard from the ENEE director and energy regulator on annual contract renewals for 30, 50, and 80 megawatts of electricity, with lawmakers divided over whether the state utility has adequate funds to pay for the supply amid broader financial strain.

Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez's homily about how drug traffickers and criminals bury illicit money triggered debate among lawmakers, with some urging caution in linking politicians to crime and others arguing the problem extends far beyond cash to property, businesses, and major investments.

Honduras's Supreme Court ordered a new trial for former judge Wendy Caballero Reyes on charges of abuse of authority stemming from her handling of an asset-laundering investigation involving a minor, with the hearing set for November 26.

Congresswoman Alía Kafati withdrew her proposal to limit Honduras presidents to one reelection and bar them from running again after two consecutive terms.

Shelters for women fleeing domestic violence across Honduras operate in crisis on international donations despite a 2024 law mandating state funding, while a new Tegucigalpa facility remains half-built after eight months.

Honduras's Constitutional Court admitted a legal challenge to a 2026 law that broadly expanded the definition of terrorist association, with critics warning its vague language could criminalize legitimate protest, strikes, and indigenous territorial rights.

Transport leaders from five major cities announced plans for a nationwide strike next week unless the government pays a pending compensation bonus and addresses security threats facing the sector.

Christian Duarte, a former finance secretary, criticized Juan Orlando Hernández's return to Honduras after receiving a U.S. presidential pardon, calling him the leader of a criminal organization whose rule plunged the country into darkness and asserting he still owes a debt to Honduran justice.

Deputy Alia Kafati announced she will withdraw a bill that would have regulated presidential reelection, asserting that the Honduran Constitution prohibits the practice entirely.

Prosecutors accuse former president Juan Orlando Hernández of diverting at least 62 million lempiras (about $3 million) from state accounts through two foundations to finance his 2013 presidential campaign, funding advertising, advisors' travel, helicopter rentals for his family, and a luxury watch.

Palmerola International Airport urged passengers to arrive early on July 26 due to expected vehicle congestion on the CA-05 highway as former president Juan Orlando Hernández returns to Honduras.

A Honduran research center presented a historical analysis of socioterritorial conflicts in Honduras from 2022 to 2026 at a Central American history conference in El Salvador, examining trends and challenges.

Former president Juan Orlando Hernández, freed after a US pardon erased his 45-year drug-trafficking sentence, will return voluntarily to Honduras this Sunday to face domestic charges of fraud and money laundering, after a Honduran judge suspended the international arrest warrant against him.

Five months after the Attorney General's office submitted a draft modernizing Honduras's public-contracting rules—with digital tools, certified suppliers, and tighter controls—Congress says it has not yet received the formal executive version needed to begin legislative review.

José Luis Chirinos, the mayor of Manto in Olancho, died of cardiac arrest on Saturday while being transported by ambulance to a private hospital in Tegucigalpa, passing away near the Telica area before reaching the facility.

The Santa Elena municipality in La Paz enacted an ordinance requiring NGOs, public and private institutions, and individuals to register with the mayor's office before conducting activities in local communities, with fines of 2,000–5,000 lempiras (about $80–$200) for non-compliance; analysts warn it mirrors restrictions on civic space being pushed at the national level.

President Nasry Asfura stated that the government will receive former president Juan Orlando Hernández upon his return on July 26 as it does any Honduran citizen, without addressing the legal proceedings Hernández faces in the Pandora II fraud and money-laundering case.

Defense Minister Enrique Rodríguez Burchard announced a 30% salary increase for enlisted soldiers, adding approximately 3,000 lempiras (about $120) monthly at a cost of over 570 million lempiras, effective July 2026.

Honduras's National Anti-Corruption Council released a report analyzing the implications of former President Juan Orlando Hernández's return to the country, stating that his presence is a test of whether the justice system can investigate and prosecute alleged crimes with independence and impartiality.