Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Prices for staple vegetables in San Pedro Sula have climbed sharply—lettuce reached L50 per pound (up from L25), onions L30, potatoes L30, and cabbage L15—as wet weather disrupts local and Guatemalan supplies.

Honduras is defending 12 cases before the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) representing about $4.2 billion in claims, with the largest being Honduras Próspera's $1.6 billion lawsuit following the government's cancellation of the special economic zone regime.

An ASJ watchdog report warns that energy losses at Honduras's state power company have risen to 34.4%, a major 1,500-megawatt energy tender already delayed to 2027 risks supply shortages, and the three successor companies can absorb only a fifth of a 143.8-billion-lempira debt.

Honduras's state electric company (Enee) loses approximately L8.8 billion (roughly $352 million) in the first half of 2026 due to theft, technical losses, and billing failures, forcing the government to subsidize tariffs rather than pass costs to consumers.

Although the Central Bank reported a strong rebound in foreign investment to $468.3 million in the second quarter of 2026, economists warn that most flows are reinvestment by existing companies rather than new capital, reflecting Honduras's weak regional competitiveness.

Prices for basic grains, eggs, and meat in San Pedro Sula have risen 1.50 to 2 lempiras per pound in recent weeks, reducing purchasing power and forcing families to buy less as vendors report 25–30% drops in sales.

Intercity bus fares across Honduras have risen an average of 17.25% ahead of the Morazán holiday weekend, with passengers paying significantly more as fuel prices increase transportation costs.

Diesel fuel prices in Honduras surged 77% from January to September 2026, rising from L81.27 to L149.20 per gallon and surpassing 2022 highs, straining transport operators and household budgets across the country.

Bus drivers and their assistants blocked major roads in San Pedro Sula on September 28 to protest rising diesel costs, stranding hundreds of passengers who had to walk to their destinations, even as the IHTT clarified no official work stoppage had been called.

Outstanding electricity bills owed to Honduras's state power utility have climbed to L21.1 billion (about $845 million) as of August 31, with residential customers accounting for more than half the debt despite repeated government payment relief programs.

With informal employment near 78%, experts say Honduras can expand formal jobs by strengthening micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through better access to financing, streamlined regulations, and growth incentives.

Honduras has 3.79 million employed workers with average monthly income reaching L10,356 (about $415), up 6.9% from 2025, though unemployment rose to 7.1% and 61.1% of households remain below the poverty line.

About 350 census takers and supervisors in Atlántida protested at the regional governor's office on September 21, demanding full payment for August–September work and a formal new contract after the INE failed to pay them and their initial contract expired.

Vehicle registration fees in Cortés department, including San Pedro Sula, are the highest in northern Honduras, driven by municipal rates that vary significantly by engine size and municipality.

El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras received $29.1 billion in remittances in the first seven months of 2026, a 7.1% increase from the same period in 2025, with Honduras seeing an 11.2% year-over-year gain.

With over 70,000 Hondurans losing protected status in the US, economists warn that potential returnees will strain Honduras's already-weak job market, which lacks sufficient formal employment and faces a skills gap between workers and employer needs.

Honduras's pension and housing fund RAP has L3.86 billion (about $155 million) available for home loans this year, with RAP director Juan Carlos Sikaffy saying the fund aims to broaden access to housing credit for affiliated workers.

Former ENEE general manager Salomón Ordóñez warns that Honduras's largest hydroelectric reservoir has lost 50% of its generating capacity due to drought, with power-sector reform results expected in two to three years.

Year-on-year inflation in Honduras reached 6.20% in August 2026, driven by rising fuel, food, and electricity costs amid adverse weather that has damaged agricultural output and pushed 64% of the goods and services in the consumer basket higher.

Construction and tourism industry leaders say they can absorb thousands of Hondurans returning due to TPS (Temporary Protected Status) termination, citing demand for bilingual, skilled workers, though they stress the need for government coordination.

The National Congress established a working group with legislators and government officials to investigate rising prices in essential foods and household goods, identify speculative pricing, and determine legal penalties for unjustified increases.

ENEE's manager Guillermo Peña Panting says stabilizing power supply is the immediate priority as the utility faces infrastructure weakness that could extend through 2026 and into next summer, while the recently approved electricity sector reform begins implementation.

Honduras is separating ENEE's generation, transmission, and distribution into distinct state-owned companies and creating an independent system and market operator, mirroring reforms other Central American nations completed 20–25 years ago.

Honduras's new Energy Justice Law freezes electricity rates for six months, but the Electricity Regulatory Commission warns that bills can still increase if household consumption rises or if commercial charges apply.

Unaffiliated employers can register with Honduras's private pension system (RAP) through September 28 without penalties, back payments, or fees, aiming to expand coverage and let workers access housing loans and retirement benefits.

Hundreds of job seekers of all ages crowded a La Ceiba employment fair organized by the Chamber of Commerce, labor ministry, and other partners, where 40 companies offered roughly 150 openings across commerce, services, food, and manufacturing—exposing acute unemployment in the Atlantic coast region.

Honduras's Energy Justice Law establishes a three-month amnesty period for users with illegal or tampered electrical connections to voluntarily comply and avoid civil or criminal penalties, after which ENEE and authorities will pursue enforcement.

Two educated Hondurans—a lawyer who returned after studying abroad and an architect who stayed—demonstrate that retaining skilled workers requires domestic opportunities in sectors like special economic zones and international projects.

Honduras's government and poultry producers, representing 80% of national output, agreed to cut the price of a carton of eggs to 95 lempiras (about $3.80) at Banasupro stores nationwide and 104 lempiras (about $4.15) at Mercado Zonal Belén, with monthly cost reviews to follow.

Unannounced electricity cuts in San Pedro Sula are causing production delays and losses for small workshops and artisans, with some considering closure due to lost income and the prohibitive cost of private generators.