Wednesday, July 22, 2026 — Morning Edition

Honduras's Supreme Court confirmed that it had lifted the red alert and arrest warrants against former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is set to return to the country Sunday and appear in court Monday in the Pandora II case, with defense motions to be decided only once the hearing opens.

A May law passed unanimously by Congress lets returning Honduran migrants import up to $150,000 in household goods and $100,000 in work equipment duty-free within 12 months of their return.

Honduras is deploying traffic patrols on the CA-5 highway near Amarateca to crack down on drunk driving, speeding, and other violations, and plans to extend the effort to high-risk roads nationwide.

Honduras will close its consulate general in Shanghai on July 31, moving consular services to the embassy in Beijing as part of a cost-cutting and efficiency review of its diplomatic network.

More than 70 rural, indigenous, and Garífuna organizations blocked roads and held demonstrations nationwide on July 20, demanding that the government repeal three decrees that criminalize land claims, broaden the definition of terrorism, and shield farm and energy-sector land from legal challenges, including agrarian reform.

After a constitutional ruling annulled the proceedings against him and restored his presumption of innocence, former judge Marco Vallecillo formally petitioned the Supreme Court to reinstate him, with his defense arguing that no valid dismissal order exists in his personnel file.

The Central Bank of Honduras auctioned $112.1 million in a foreign-exchange sale on July 21, setting a weighted average exchange rate of L26.7744 per dollar for July 22.

The Housing Ministry unveiled a 10-year subsidy plan offering grants of up to L82,500 (about $3,300) and lower monthly payments to help low-income families qualify for mortgages and afford payments on social housing.

Interest rates on business loans have eased across commerce, industry, and services, tracking softer deposit rates, according to Central Bank data.

Economist Julio Raudales says the Central Bank of Honduras's 5–6% inflation target is reachable if monetary policy stays disciplined and no external shocks hit, though he warns that balancing price control against growth remains a key challenge.

Honduras's central bank raised its forecast for family remittances to 7% growth in 2026, to $13.16 billion, and kept its 3–4% economic growth outlook, though inflation and currency depreciation continue to squeeze household purchasing power.

The president of the Cortés Chamber of Commerce warns that crime and weak rule of law are keeping foreign and domestic firms from investing, expanding, and creating jobs in Honduras.

After a first phase in which mobile medical units treated nearly 17,000 patients, Honduras's Health Ministry is sending the clinics to Tambla, La Libertad, and La Lima to bring free care to underserved communities.

Also reported by: Secretaría de Salud

Environment Minister Juan Carlos Ramos is urging Congress to pass a solid-waste law that has cleared first debate, saying it would unlock international funding for sanitary landfills and improve trash collection across Honduras's 298 municipalities.

Congress unanimously approved a measure requiring the emergency agency Copeco, the Agriculture Ministry, and the municipal association Amhon to report within two weeks on drought conditions in 75 municipalities of the Dry Corridor, where El Niño has cut rainfall by half.

Honduras is spending 62 million lempiras (roughly $2.5 million) to help 75 municipalities hit by El Niño-driven drought, with 38 facing the highest food-security risks and getting priority support for water, food, health care, and irrigation.

The National Police confirmed that nearly 800 officers will be deployed inside and outside the Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés for Thursday's inaugural Honduras Supercup match between Olimpia and Motagua, with five security cordons planned.

Experts warn that between 45,000 and 50,000 Hondurans could be deported from the United States by year-end, more than double the 2025 pace and possibly above 2018–2019 levels, driven by tougher US enforcement.

Honduras took in 23,420 deported citizens from January through June 2026—roughly five an hour—straining families and communities that need jobs and access to basic services.

A San Pedro Sula court sentenced José Nectaly Mejía Castellanos to 22 years in prison and a permanent ban from public office for criminal association, illegal firearms possession, and drug trafficking.

National Police arrested two men in Dulce Nombre de Culmí, Olancho, on suspicion of trafficking cocaine after finding 10 and 5 small bags of white powder on them during a raid.

A judge ordered Mauro Neptalí Sosa López held in pretrial detention on suspicion of sexually assaulting a child under 13; an initial hearing is set for July 23.