Browse Honduras Daily Stories

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.

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.

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.

Congress Security Commission president Marco Paz said the current security reform package focuses on changes to the National Penitentiary and police forces, while any proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility remains under debate with no concrete proposal yet.

A coalition of civil-society organizations is pressing Congress to urgently approve a comprehensive law protecting children from sexual abuse, citing alarming statistics: 57 girls suffer sexual violence daily in Honduras, yet authorities record only one report every 3.2 hours, with seven in ten cases occurring within families.

A national poll finds nearly half of Hondurans view proposed changes to the state utility ENEE as privatization, with 37.4% fearing the reforms will harm households already squeezed by high electricity costs, food prices, and fuel.

Roberto Contreras, president of the Liberal Party's executive council, called rival Salvador Nasralla a "factory of failures" who will never be president and warned that internal divisions could keep the party out of power for 20 years.

Former Planning Minister Ricardo Salgado's ministry spent L22.9 million (about $920,000) on vehicle rentals over three years, with spending surging to L16.1 million in the 2025 election year—a roughly five-fold increase from 2024.

Honduras's prosecutors' association is urging the Public Ministry and Congress to approve emergency funding to hire about 200 new prosecutors, citing a case backlog caused by the current 760 prosecutors being overwhelmed and no new hires in seven years.

Gabriela Castellanos, director of Honduras's National Anti-Corruption Council, said tolerance for intimidation of public officials threatens rule of law, citing the Attorney General's complaint that former president Juan Orlando Hernández confronted prosecutors during a court hearing.

Honduras's anti-corruption council announced investigations into alleged corruption at the Social Housing Fund (Fosovi) and at least seven other public institutions, urging prosecutors to bring those responsible to justice.

A judge scheduled an August 20 hearing for former Health Minister Alba Flores to answer fraud and document-falsification charges stemming from a COVID-19 mobile hospital procurement scandal; Flores has evaded justice since November 2023.

The Honduran government announced it will not appear before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) for a hearing related to an ongoing political trial, instead submitting a written defense.

A Data Veritas poll finds corruption (21%), rising cost of living (19.6%), and unemployment (14.8%) are Honduras's most pressing problems, while public approval of the Asfura government remains predominantly negative.

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.

Honduras's Defense Ministry said international bodies have three times confirmed that Isla Conejo belongs to Honduras, dismissing reports of Salvadoran displeasure over the president's recent visit to the island during bilateral cease-fire commemorations.

Vice President María Antonieta Mejía has called on lawmakers to hold a technical debate on proposed reforms to the state-run electricity company ENEE, which faces losses of about 16 billion lempiras (roughly $640 million) and is hampering public investment in education and infrastructure.

Venezuelans living in Honduras and Honduran citizens have begun collecting non-perishable food, hygiene products, and emergency supplies to send to families affected by earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.

Honduras's Technical Liquidation Commission reported that more than 1,700 state employees have been laid off as part of a government restructuring aimed at reducing costs and redirecting savings to health, education, and security, with the government spending over 700 million lempiras (about $28 million) on severance payments.

Defense Secretary Enrique Rodríguez Burchard confirmed that revenue from the sale of Honduras's presidential aircraft—which sold for L137 million (about $5.5 million)—will be allocated to health, education, and the National Autonomous University of Honduras.

A National Party congressman says proposed reforms to Honduras's energy law aim to rescue the state utility ENEE from financial collapse—it loses about 1.5 billion lempiras monthly—and denies the measure includes privatization, calling reports of a selloff false.

Honduras's audit tribunal (TSC) has launched an investigation into the Agriculture Ministry's Productive Technology Bonus program following complaints of irregularities in fund management, beneficiary selection, and equipment distribution.

Feminist and labor organizations are urging Congress to ratify two International Labour Organization conventions that would guarantee domestic workers access to social security, regulated hours, fair wages, paid leave, and protections against violence and discrimination.

After an audit found redundant administrative positions, Honduras's fire department did not renew about 30 contracts and opened 35 operational firefighter positions in San Pedro Sula, saying it needs more active responders to handle emergencies.

The director of the Association for a More Just Society (ASJ) challenged President Nasry Asfura's decision not to send humanitarian aid to Venezuela following deadly earthquakes, arguing that regional solidarity should prevail in emergencies, while noting that Congress has taken a different stance.

The Committee for the Defense of Human Rights says Honduras needs an electoral council independent of political parties and opposes the return of two current counselors to their posts to ensure transparent 2029 elections.

A payroll review shows at least seven officials with family or close ties to BANADESA president Héctor Vidal Cerrato Zelaya were hired recently in key roles, earning a combined 462,316 lempiras (about $18,500) monthly, prompting nepotism allegations amid farmer complaints about financing access.

Diana Medina, the former head of the child-prosecution office, called on Honduras to adopt a specialized law coordinating institutional response to sexual violence against children, citing Guatemala's model and Honduras's international obligations to protect minors.

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.