Browse Honduras Daily Stories

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 Association of Petroleum Product Distributors (Ahdippe) called on lawmakers to more carefully analyze energy-system reform proposals, citing concerns about technical losses, ENEE debt recovery, and accountability before the bill advances.

The Patriotic Solidarity Coalition has called on Congress to strengthen a bipartisan electric-sector reform bill before passage, arguing it must address structural causes of the ENEE crisis—including arrears, technical losses, and governance failures—while guaranteeing state control of the system.

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.

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.

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.

The Liberal Party introduced a counterproposal for electricity-sector reform that would restructure ENEE using state-controlled public companies instead of private commercial entities, aiming to strengthen operational efficiency while maintaining state control.

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.

Congress suspended debate on a proposed energy modernization law after the Liberal Party and social sectors demanded more time and transparency, citing concerns over potential rate increases and the future of the state electricity company ENEE.

José Azcona, a Liberal Party engineer and former congressman, argues that the government's proposed restructuring of the state power utility into three private-market companies would effectively privatize the electricity market and raise costs for poor consumers, though he says ENEE can be rescued without direct privatization.

Marvin Ponce alleged Wednesday that five Liberal Party members of Congress are demanding bribes in exchange for votes on energy reforms aimed at reducing electricity theft and restructuring the state utility into three separate entities.

The Asfura administration briefed leaders of the Evangelical Confraternity of Honduras on its proposed energy-sector restructuring bill; Criterio.hn, a critical outlet, reports that opponents argue the measure amounts to privatization of ENEE and would ultimately drive up electricity prices for consumers.

Honduras's human-rights committee supports the government's electricity reforms but is pressing for legal guarantees that the state-owned national power utility will not be privatized and that benefits reach all sectors, as Congress prepares to vote on the overhaul this week.

The National Congress could convene next week to approve reforms to overhaul Honduras's troubled state electricity utility ENEE, with backers claiming support from 65+ lawmakers and backing from international lenders seeking to stabilize the company's finances and reduce nationwide blackouts.

Gerardo Salgado, an adviser to Congress's Energy Commission, also serves on the board of the Honduran Renewable Energy Association, which is pushing Congress to include microgrids and macrogrids in the upcoming electricity-sector reform—provisions not in the commission's original draft but potentially to be added during final debate.

The opposition Partido Libre warns that proposed reforms to Honduras's electrical system would lead to the privatization of the state utility ENEE and threaten its existence.

Congress says it has secured the 65 votes needed to approve electricity-sector reforms aimed at modernizing the system and addressing ENEE's mounting losses—about 1.5 billion lempiras monthly—while rejecting opposition claims the measures would privatize the state utility.

Attorney Omar Menjívar argues that a bipartisan electrical-sector reform advancing in Congress would leave the state-owned utility ENEE intact but progressively transfer control of power service delivery to private companies, citing the precedent of Hondutel's decline after losing core telecom functions to private providers.

The Liberal Party's Congress members say they secured a clause prohibiting direct and indirect privatization of Honduras's national electricity utility, though they continue to raise concerns about sector competition, tariff reduction, energy theft, and the company's debt relief plan.

The US Embassy welcomes the Asfura administration's push to reform Honduras's electricity law, saying the changes would attract US investment, boost economic growth, strengthen energy security, and improve reliable and affordable power access for Hondurans.

The Liberal Party's congressional bloc said it will not support a reform to the state power utility (ENEE) unless the proposal explicitly guarantees the company will not be privatized.

Congress opened a first reading of an 18-article bill to reorganize Honduras's electrical system, with stated aims to lower costs, improve service, reduce blackouts, and keep state utility ENEE in public hands.

Pending congressional reforms to Honduras's electric sector guarantee that ENEE employees will retain their union affiliation and benefits even after the state utility is restructured into separate generation, distribution, and transmission companies, and explicitly reject any privatization.

Members of the Libre party blocked an entrance to Congress and staged protests against proposed energy reforms set for first debate, with the party's congressional leader Ronald Panchame saying they oppose privatization of the state utility ENEE.

A Congressional energy commission is drafting reforms to modernize the state-owned power utility ENEE through internal reorganization of transmission, distribution, and billing operations, while ruling out privatization and pledging to protect worker job security.

The European Union's ambassador to Honduras endorsed proposed reforms to the country's electric industry law, saying the model mirrors European approaches and would improve service while lowering tariffs through renewable-energy incentives.

The World Bank, IDB, CAF, and BCIE have endorsed the government's plan to split the state electricity company into three entities for generation, transmission, and distribution, but critics warn it masks privatization and demand broader public consultation.

Finance Minister Emilio Hércules clarified that a proposed law on the state-owned electricity utility ENEE would keep 100% of the three linked companies under government ownership, with any decisions requiring Congressional approval.

Congress is moving toward approving a structural reform that would divide the state-owned ENEE into three separate commercial entities for generation, transmission, and distribution, with energy experts warning the changes open a path to privatization and could weaken the utility's financial stability.

The opposition LIBRE party faction says the government's draft energy reform is privatization disguised as modernization and is calling for a popular referendum, arguing that Hondurans—not lawmakers or private interests—should decide the future of the state-owned utility ENEE.