Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Cohep president Anabel Gallardo called on Congress to pass the long-delayed energy law reform, warning that continued inaction weakens ENEE's governance and could deter investment.

About 31,000 Hondurans have been deported from the United States, Mexico, and Guatemala between January and August 2026, with 27,828 arriving by air from the US, as the government braces for potential mass returns following the US termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans.

Seventy-five Honduran municipalities in red alert for severe drought requested early disbursement of August and September government transfers, with 63 of them already receiving early payments to address the El Niño-driven emergency.

Honduras's disaster agency Copeco has begun delivering food packages valued at 4,000 lempiras (about $160) each, plus medicines, to drought-stricken municipalities in Choluteca and El Paraíso, backed by a 300-million-lempira (about $12 million) budget, with cash transfers planned for up to 15 of the 75 municipalities identified as most severely affected.

Honduras police confiscated over 1.5 metric tons of cocaine hidden in mangroves between Choluteca and Valle departments in two operations within 48 hours, with authorities saying they may find more as searches continue.

Honduras's national power utility (ENEE) has scheduled outages for August 22 in Copán, El Paraíso, and Francisco Morazán departments, with cuts beginning between 8:20 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and lasting up to seven hours for maintenance work.

Honduras's Judiciary, along with civil-society groups, prosecutors, and police, has drafted reforms to the 1997 domestic violence law to address gaps, add protections for victims including recognition of vicarious and digital violence, and harmonize penalties for perpetrators.

Honduras's government declared a 120-day red alert for 75 municipalities hit by El Niño-driven drought, affecting over 134,000 families, and began distributing food aid while coordinating water access and agricultural protection measures.

Negotiations over a sweeping overhaul of Honduras's electricity system have hit a standstill in Congress after the Liberal Party created additional review committees, delaying a final committee report and blocking a floor vote despite weeks of technical work with private generators and international experts.

Honduras's official dollar exchange rate climbed to L26.8368 (buy) and L26.9710 (sell) on August 20, continuing a week-long upward trend that has seen the lempira depreciate by roughly L0.009 since Monday.

Honduras received $6.52 billion in remittances in the first six months of 2026, a 12.3% increase from the same period in 2025, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Honduras's disaster agency is tracking two areas in the Pacific with 80% and 60% probability of cyclone formation, while Hurricane Lala moves westward posing no immediate threat to Honduras.

Honduras's national utility ENEE has scheduled maintenance outages on August 19 affecting neighborhoods in Francisco Morazán, Cortés, Intibucá, Copán, and Santa Bárbara, with most cuts lasting roughly six hours between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Through July 2026, 10 of 25 weather stations recorded their lowest rainfall since 2022, triggering food insecurity and water rationing across the dry corridor, with experts warning of crisis if rains fail in September and October.

Hondurans currently enrolled in universities abroad can apply for government scholarships through August 24, with the government allocating 264 million lempiras (about $10.6 million) this year for undergraduate and graduate study inside and outside the country.

The full Supreme Court has yet to rule on a constitutional appeal filed by the defense of retired General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, who faces charges in the murder of Isy Obed Murillo; the case remains on the court's agenda pending discussion.

Honduras's Energy Commission is reviewing a Liberal Party counterproposal for restructuring the state electric utility into three operating subsidiaries, aiming to attract private capital for modernization while keeping state ownership of major generation and transmission assets.

Honduras's education system requires about L28.2 billion (roughly $1.1 billion USD) to repair, expand, and equip more than 3,700 public schools, with nearly half the cost going to classroom repairs, mostly in rural areas where infrastructure deterioration is most severe.

Between 2022 and 2025, approximately 24,000 Chinese citizens entered Honduras without authorization, with the National Migration Institute unable to track how many remain in the country or continued northward; the surge followed Honduras's establishment of diplomatic relations with China in March 2023 and a 2023 migration amnesty.

Honduras's judges are pressing Congress to move forward with a sweeping overhaul of the judicial-career rules, sent on June 10, that would tighten selection of council members and prevent conflicts of interest after a decade marked by constitutional violations and criminal charges against previous office holders.

The Property Institute plans to begin distributing metal license plates to roughly one million vehicles currently operating with temporary three-month permits in the final quarter of 2026, with owners paying 500 lempiras (about $20) per plate.

Honduras's telecommunications authority reports that Israeli-made signal-blocking technology deployed across 21 prisons has cut outgoing calls by 99%, though inmates continue to evade restrictions by smuggling mobile devices and using Wi-Fi messaging apps.

The European Union is offering up to €500 million (over L15.4 billion) to strengthen electricity transmission infrastructure in Honduras and Central America, including technical assistance, financing from the European Investment Bank, and technology transfer from European firms.

The National Police expanded its intervention strategy from 30 to 50 municipalities nationwide to prevent criminal gangs from relocating operations to areas with less police presence, according to the police communications director.

The European Union is requiring Honduran palm-oil producers to prove via geolocation tracking and environmental compliance that their crops come from non-deforested areas to maintain and expand access to European markets under new EU regulations taking effect later this year.

Honduras will rejoin the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (CIADI), a World Bank affiliate, on August 16 after nearly two years of withdrawal, seeking to strengthen investor confidence and legal certainty.

Officials met with African palm producers and industrialists to address environmental compliance, labor standards, and EU market access, with sector leaders reporting satisfaction with the government's support for expanding international sales.

A congressman from Partido Libre introduced a bill in Congress to create a law recognizing, protecting, and ensuring the dignity of Honduras's LGTBIQ+ population.

A tropical wave will move across Honduras on Saturday, August 22, bringing light rains and isolated showers, with heavier rainfall expected in western, central, and northern regions and waves of 1 to 3 feet on both coasts.

Honduras will see mostly dry conditions on August 19, with only weak, isolated rainfall in the northern and eastern regions; the southern region will reach a high of 40°C (104°F), while the central region will see 32°C (90°F).