Tuesday, July 28, 2026 — Evening Edition

Shelters for women fleeing domestic violence across Honduras are scraping by on international donations despite a 2024 law that requires state funding, while a new Tegucigalpa facility sits half-built eight months on.

A proposal from Congressman Erik Alvarado would eliminate the sales tax (ISV) on orthopedic equipment, wheelchairs, medical supplies, and breastfeeding products to lower costs for people with disabilities, those in ongoing medical care, and nursing mothers.

Honduras's Constitutional Court agreed to hear a challenge to a 2026 law that sharply broadened the definition of terrorist association, which critics warn is so vague it could criminalize legitimate protest, strikes, and indigenous land rights.

The ENEE director and the energy regulator briefed the National Congress on annual contract renewals for 30, 50, and 80 megawatts of electricity, as lawmakers split over whether the cash-strapped state utility can afford to pay for the supply.

The Central Bank of Honduras allotted $95.6 million in its July 27 currency auction, setting a weighted average exchange rate of L26.7885 per US dollar for July 28.

The government, agro-industry, and producer associations agreed on a bulk price of 680 lempiras per quintal (about $27 per 100 lb) of white corn for the 2026–2027 crop cycle, with agro-industrial buyers committing to purchase 880,000 to 1.4 million quintals.

Also reported by: Radio América, Radio América Honduras

The National Financial Inclusion Strategy (ENIF) 2025–2030 aims to open up bank accounts, digital payments, and formal credit to rural Hondurans, women, and small businesses long shut out of the formal system.

A northern Honduras fuel distributor says crude-oil prices will keep climbing for at least two weeks amid Middle East tensions, though he notes that price controls set under international rules should prevent sharp spikes in the basic basket and inflation.

The National Housing Bank (BANHPROVI) plans to begin disbursing L11 billion (about $440 million) in new financing from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) for housing projects starting in late September 2026.

Also reported by: Radio América Honduras

COHEP's July 2026 regional competitiveness bulletin projects 3.4% economic growth in 2026 on the strength of remittances, but notes that Honduras ranks 95th globally in economic freedom, 119th of 139 countries in innovation, and third worldwide in climate vulnerability.

Also reported by: Radio América Honduras

Honduras's basic food basket has climbed to about L16,000 (roughly $640) a month, more than the average minimum wage of L14,917 and forcing many families to put at least two people to work just to cover food.

San Pedro Sula has no working wastewater treatment plants despite rapid growth, and with the water utility's concession ending in 2030, the construction industry is pressing the city to secure and develop treatment sites before it is too late.

A severe water shortage across Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela has pushed the city to deploy 52 tanker trucks that have delivered more than 2.3 million gallons free of charge, while longer-term fixes including the San José dam and new wells move ahead.

Also reported by: Once Noticias, Radio América Honduras

The Infrastructure Ministry formally took over the El Tablón multipurpose project from the national utility, a scheme meant to generate electricity, supply water, and control flooding, while keeping technical, administrative, and contracting work on track.

Honduras has confirmed 246 human screwworm infestations and three deaths — all adults over 70 with underlying conditions in Olancho and Francisco Morazán — prompting health authorities to step up prevention and urge prompt care for open wounds.

Joseph David Vuelto, 16, vanished Friday after his fishing boat capsized near Cayos Cochinos in the Caribbean; his companion was rescued, but searchers have found only his fishing gear.

Also reported by: Radio Cadena Voces (RCV), Infobae – Honduras

Congress is considering a bill to limit cellphone use during school hours, and Education Minister Arely Argueta said the ministry backs measures to cut classroom distractions while keeping phones available for emergencies and safety.

The 2026 Central American Concacaf Cup kicks off today with 20 clubs from seven countries, including Honduras's Olimpia and Motagua, competing through December for six spots in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Marathón says it will file a complaint with the National Football Arbitration Court against player Cristian Sacaza, who walked out of training on July 24 without permission days before the season opens, seeking the maximum sporting sanctions and compensation for financial losses.

Congress secretary Carlos Ledezma introduced a bill to strengthen the law protecting Honduran migrants returning from any country, extending tax-exempt benefits to returnees and relatives up to the fourth degree of kinship.

A community advocate said more than 25,000 Hondurans are in ICE custody and that those with Temporary Protected Status are now being sought at their homes, faulting the Honduran government's response to migrant hardship in the United States.

Arlin A. Bustillo, 34, was arrested in an abandoned St. Louis hospital in July 2025 carrying a machete, a stolen pistol, and a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle, and pleaded guilty to illegal firearm possession and fraudulent immigration documents; a federal judge sentenced him to 46 months in prison before deportation to Honduras.

The anti-extortion and counterterrorism division arrested a man known as "El Matata," an alleged MS-13 leader in the Sula Valley, seizing a firearm and cocaine worth more than 750,000 lempiras (about $30,000) on the illicit market.

Also reported by: Policía Nacional de Honduras

Police arrested a 19-year-old man accused of rape, robbery, and other sexual assaults against a child in Comayagua.