Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Congress passed legislation declaring legally registered agricultural properties exempt from seizure and ordering police and judicial authorities to respond immediately to illegal occupations affecting sectors such as palm oil, coffee, sugar cane, and citrus.

A government commission liquidating ministries from the former Castro administration found contracts charging up to L70,000 (about $2,800) per broadcast minute, along with evidence of political spending and missing computer hard drives, sending its findings to the audit court and prosecutor.

A proposal by Liberal congressman Yury Sabas would lower the minimum driving age to 16, permitting teenagers to operate light vehicles between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. under a reformed Traffic Law.

Congress approved a temporary waiver of fines and sanctions for 2025 election candidates who failed to file required campaign finance reports or establish separate campaign bank accounts, giving them two months to comply before penalties take effect.

Jorge Alberto Cálix Orellana, whose brother Mario José "Cubeta" Cálix was extradited to the US on drug charges, has been appointed director of the OABI, the state agency that administers assets seized from traffickers—a move that prompted a rights lawyer to warn of potential conflicts of interest.

Environmental and human-rights organizations are calling on President Asfura to veto a newly approved law strengthening agroindustry protections, arguing it weakens environmental controls, blocks land reform, and criminalizes peasant land claims under the guise of fighting land invasions.

A bill before Congress would raise femicide sentences to 25–30 years (or 30–40 for aggravated cases), create specialized courts nationwide to handle gender-violence crimes, and broaden the legal definition of power imbalance between men and women.

A proposal by the current director of Honduras's state electricity utility to reorganize its structure into three separate companies and create an independent grid operator would undermine state control and pave the way for privatization, according to former ENEE manager Erick Tejada.

The National Congress reversed its previous day's approval of a two-month extension for candidates who failed to file required campaign-finance reports, leaving them exposed to fines up to 90,000 lempiras and prosecution by the attorney general's office.

President Nasry Asfura said his administration will not privatize the state power utility ENEE but will pursue efficiency reforms and modernization to address the company's mounting losses, which he called Honduras's main economic problem.

Congress's Family and Children Commission is leading technical talks to revise the law on sexual abuse prevention and protection for children and adolescents, citing persistent legal gaps that hinder swift justice for victims.

Congresswoman Yasmy Arita introduced legislation in Congress to establish a special youth motorcycle license requiring mandatory training and exams before issuance, aiming to reduce traffic accidents and improve road safety among young riders.

Honduras's Supreme Court approved proposed reforms to femicide statutes and a law allowing release of terminally ill prisoners, offering technical observations for Congress to consider during legislative debate.

Congress is prepared to review the executive's proposal to restructure the state electricity utility ENEE to reduce its 38% loss rate—which costs the state approximately L1.3 billion monthly—and lower electricity costs for consumers.

Congressman Yury Sabas of the Liberal Party announced a bill to allow supervised driving licenses for Hondurans aged 16 to 18 with parental consent, mandatory insurance, and certified driver training, citing informal teenage driving already occurring on roads.

Jorge Alberto Cálix Orellana has been appointed director of Honduras's agency that administers assets seized from drug traffickers, sparking concerns over conflict of interest because his brother Mario José Cálix—a major trafficker extradited to the US in 2024—had substantial property and accounts seized by the same institution.

Lawyers from Colombian President Gustavo Petro's party filed a complaint with Honduras's Public Ministry against former President Juan Orlando Hernández, alleging terrorist association and crimes against humanity based on disputed audio recordings, as forensic analysis of the recordings remains inconclusive.

The Public Ministry says no investigation has been opened into Rony Pacheco, director of the National Statistics Institute (INE), who is also listed as an employee of the National Electoral Council (CNE), pending a report from the Court of Accounts to determine whether his dual roles violate civil-service law.

Honduras's National Congress is drafting reforms to strengthen legal protections and institutional coordination for the prevention, detection, and prosecution of sexual abuse against children and adolescents, following violence that kills dozens of minors yearly.

The Education Commission is reviewing a proposed Parental Rights Law that would give parents primary authority to teach their children about sexuality and other matters according to their own moral and religious values.

Congress is naming new members to Honduras's electoral bodies, the CNE and Electoral Tribunal, while the Electoral Affairs Commission plans initial reforms for July and deeper changes—including biometric voting—for October, pending agreement among political factions.

Agrarian organizations including the Aguán Agrarian Platform and OFRANEH said a proposed law to strengthen and protect the agro-industrial sector is unconstitutional because it privileges one sector over the rest of the population.

Nelson Castañeda, security and justice director at the ASJ, said Honduras's Public Prosecutor's Office requires increased funding to improve its capacity to respond to cases.

Congress is advancing a reform of Honduras's electricity sector that would reduce technical and non-technical losses—now running at 38% of the system, or about 1.3 billion lempiras monthly—and strengthen regulatory oversight to improve efficiency and financial sustainability.

Over 5,000 app-based drivers in Honduras met with a congresswoman seeking labor protections and legal recognition, noting that companies like Uber lack a formal presence in Honduras, creating tax gaps and leaving workers without formal rights.

Liberal congressman Roberto Pineda Chacón introduced a proposal to impose fines and penalties for burning tires during demonstrations and for improperly dumping tires in public spaces, citing environmental protection on World Environment Day.

Honduras's Central Bank said it respects ongoing investigations after prosecutors charged current and former employees with 100 counts of negligent embezzlement tied to a multimillion-lempira theft, with arrests made in Choluteca, Francisco Morazán, and Cortés.

Congress approved a two-month amnesty allowing vehicle and motorcycle owners to settle outstanding tax debts without paying accumulated penalties, fines, or interest, covering obligations from 2025 and earlier years.

Congress approved legislation declaring agricultural and agro-industrial lands exempt from land reform and other seizure, mandating immediate police action against invasions and road blockades, and requiring streamlined permitting for the sector, which contributes roughly 6.5 billion lempiras to GDP.

The government will submit a comprehensive electricity-sector reform bill to Congress this week that would split ENEE into three functional divisions—generation, transmission, and distribution—aiming to cut system losses of nearly 38% and stabilize tariffs, officials say.