Browse Honduras Daily Stories

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.

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.

A congressman from the Libre party has proposed a law to establish workplace rights and safety protections for women engaged in paid sex work, addressing what he says is a regulatory gap that has left them vulnerable to discrimination and violence.

The Liberal Party's congressional delegation will present next week an alternative to the governing party's proposed reforms to the electricity sector, focusing on two disputed articles while seeking to rescue the state utility without privatization.

Honduras's audit office has launched an investigation into Yuscarán Mayor Johny Carrasco after videos showed him drinking alcohol and smoking inside municipal facilities, potentially violating the Public Servant Ethics Code; sanctions could range from suspension to removal from office.

Ronald Panchamé, head of the Libre congressional bloc, announced the party will present a counterproposal to the government's electric-sector reform bill currently under discussion.

José Manuel Zelaya Rosales, who resigned as defense minister in 2024 after a video implicated his father in meetings with drug traffickers, now works as an advisor to a Libre city councilor in Tegucigalpa, the mayor confirmed.

The opposition Liberal Party says it will back planned overhaul of Honduras's electric sector only if the government explicitly guarantees that the state-owned ENEE will not be privatized and public assets will not be pledged as collateral.

Johnny Alejandro Carrasco, mayor of Yuscarán, rejected calls to step down after a video circulated showing him and municipal officials drinking alcohol in a municipal building, claiming the people present were friends and the remarks were a joke.

The National Congress reconvenes on July 21 with a final debate on proposed reforms to Honduras's electricity law, which President Asfura says are necessary to stabilize the state power company (ENEE), though opposition parties continue to reject the changes.

Former president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was pardoned by President Trump in 2025 after extradition to the US on drug-trafficking charges, will return to Honduras on July 26 to face trial on fraud and money-laundering charges related to the Pandora II case, with a court hearing scheduled for August 3.

The Amhon Honor Court is analyzing possible disciplinary action against Yuscarán Mayor Johny Alejandro Carrasco following a July 11 video showing him drinking alcohol inside a municipal building; Amhon's secretary said the case is under review to determine "what comes next."

Honduras's audit court referred only four illicit-enrichment cases to prosecutors between 2019 and 2025, involving former officials from the social security institute, social investment fund, and two municipalities, with alleged unjustified wealth gains totaling L92.4 million (about $3.7 million).

The Infrastructure Ministry awarded a Mexican construction company, Prodemex, a multimillion-lempira contract to complete the third phase of the Santa Bárbara General Hospital, but no public contract or transparency-registry trace of the award exists, and the project remains halted under a court order.

The National Congress is refusing to unseal physical boxes that may contain financial documents from former Congress president Luis Redondo's 2022–2026 tenure, citing a need for oversight by the Court of Accounts, while claiming digital records of the spending have been deleted.

The National Congress unanimously approved 10 contracts funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and Central American Bank for Economic Integration to carry out social projects and consulting work across multiple departments, though lawmakers noted the absence of contract values in the vote.

Honduras's accounting tribunal will investigate L15.9 million (about $636,000) paid for two presidential meeting rooms at the Supreme Court during Rebeca Raquel Obando's tenure, after a failed public bid, a closed private bidding, and cost overruns of nearly L3 million above the original contract.

Former president Juan Orlando Hernández's attorney said he will use technical consultants to refute money-laundering accusations at a hearing scheduled for August 3, when Hernández is set to appear before a judge.

Honduras's Supreme Court suspended the arrest warrant and international alert against former president Juan Orlando Hernández from July 20 to August 3, when a hearing on fraud and money-laundering charges is scheduled.

Former president Juan Orlando Hernández will return to Honduras in August 2026 to appear before the Supreme Court of Justice as part of ongoing judicial proceedings against him.

Honduras's Supreme Court approved a procedural protocol to speed up the return of children illegally taken out of or brought into the country, implementing the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction that Honduras ratified in 1993.

Honduras's new Agro-Industrial Strengthening and Protection Law declares registered farmland, livestock, energy, and tourism properties legally protected against invasion or occupation, while exempting indigenous territories unless prior free-consent consultation is completed.

The Public Ministry opened an investigation into former Attorney General Johel Zelaya for allegedly signing illegal contracts and unconstitutional actions that led to his removal through a political trial, with authorities seeking phone data.

The legal representative of former President Juan Orlando Hernández has asked the Supreme Court to revoke the arrest warrant against him, arguing that Hernández is willing to voluntarily submit to judicial proceedings and poses no flight risk.

Honduras's Constitutional Court granted an amparo (constitutional remedy) to former judge Marco Antonio Vallecillo and ordered an appeals court to issue a new, properly reasoned ruling on his pretrial detention in an extortion case, finding the original decision violated due process.

A defamation complaint filed by lawyer Cossette López against Marlon Ochoa has been sent to trial court after reconciliation failed; Ochoa was removed as a National Electoral Council member in April following a congressional impeachment vote.

Honduras will hold an international public auction of its Embraer Legacy 600 presidential aircraft on July 10, with proceeds to fund health and education projects; the plane was purchased in 2014 for over $14.7 million and is now estimated to fetch $8–10 million.

The full bench of Honduras's Supreme Court will decide a constitutional appeal filed by retired General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, after the Constitutional Chamber failed to reach unanimous agreement on the case filed in January 2025; his defense hopes for a favorable ruling that would overturn an arrest warrant against him.

Honduras inaugurated the UN-backed International Year of Women Farmers 2026 to recognize rural women's role in food production and address gaps in their access to land, credit, and technology, with data showing only 12% own land and 70% lack formal bank credit.

Taiwan's vice minister of foreign affairs said the government is willing to resume diplomatic relations and joint development projects with Honduras, noting President Asfura made the promise during his campaign.