Sunday, May 31, 2026 — Morning Edition

Liberal congresswoman Iroshka Elvir introduced a bill modeled on El Salvador's Bukele security strategy that would build a supermax prison for gang and criminal organization members, citing a worsening violence crisis.

Attorneys for Luis Redondo, the former president of Honduras's National Congress, have formally asked prosecutors to provide the complete investigative file — covering alleged abuse of authority and other offenses — before their client gives a statement, arguing he cannot mount a defense without knowing the charges against him.

The government unveiled a 1.5-billion-lempira (roughly $60 million) incentive program targeting more than 300,000 corn, bean, coffee, and cattle farmers nationwide, with a drought-contingency plan and increased municipal transfers to help communities hardest hit by dry conditions.

The Central Bank's weekly report for May 15–21 shows net international reserves continuing to build — driven by remittances and strong export performance — with Honduras already meeting the liquid-reserve target set for June 2026 under its IMF agreement, despite a modest weekly dip tied to external debt payments.

Also reported by: Banco Central de Honduras (X)

The Banco Central de Honduras auctioned $93.6 million on May 25, yielding a weighted average exchange rate of L26.6543 per U.S. dollar for May 26, 2026.

Tegucigalpa's mayor warned that the capital's water shortage will persist as reservoirs remain critically low — La Concepción at 42% and Los Laureles at 33% — with relief not expected until a new dam, set to serve 350,000 people, is completed in early 2028.

The Health Ministry graduated 94 nursing assistants from the 2024–2026 academic program, adding trained staff to the public health workforce.

Honduras's public health network carried out 1,854 elective surgeries across 29 hospitals in May, clearing 49% of the backlog of patients awaiting non-emergency procedures, the Health Ministry said.

A decree transferring authority over the El Merendón mountain range to the national forestry agency ICF has alarmed the local conservation group Guardianes del Merendón, which warns of deforestation and threats to San Pedro Sula's water supply.

Honduras has mobilized a $70 million humanitarian assistance plan, coordinated with the UN and COPECO, to support roughly 800,000 people affected by drought across the country.

The Education Ministry announced that all public and private schools will resume regular class schedules starting Monday, June 1, after recent rains improved air quality and ended weeks of shortened school days.

The Carlos Eduardo Espina school, a new facility serving dozens of children in Villanueva, Cortés, was inaugurated Monday following a project led by Japanese content creator and activist Shin Fujiyama.

Honduras will host the Third Ibero-American Tourism Forum in San Pedro Sula on June 3, bringing together public and private sector representatives to discuss AI, infrastructure, and connectivity in tourism development.

Karen Flores, a Honduran migrant in Georgia, says she cannot afford plane tickets to return to Honduras with her U.S.-born children after ICE deported her husband, who was the family's sole breadwinner, leaving her in severe financial distress.

Honduran National Police seized a marijuana plantation during a raid in Guaimaca, Francisco Morazán, according to police.

More than 120 National Police officers took part in a saturation operation in Chamelecón, San Pedro Sula, aimed at curbing crime and strengthening security in the area.

Honduran armed forces have destroyed more than 515,000 coca bushes across at least 25 illegal plantations and nine drug-processing sites in six departments so far this year, including a newly secured crop of 16,500 plants in Colón.

Amid rising violence, a former police-vetting commissioner and Security Secretary Gerzon Velásquez are calling for rigorous evaluation of police, prosecutors, and judges to root out criminal ties and effectively combat crime in Honduras.