Saturday, August 15, 2026

Honduras's Appeals Court voided all criminal proceedings against former judge Marco Antonio Vallecillo on extortion charges, ruling that prosecutors skipped the mandatory antejuicio pretrial procedure required before charging a sitting judge.

The president of Honduras's Supreme Court said the judiciary remains committed to talks with Garífuna representatives and OFRANEH on carrying out international court rulings on Indigenous land rights, after both groups skipped a scheduled meeting Friday.

Former president Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted of drug trafficking in the US and later pardoned, said he will face the money-laundering accusations against him with respect for the justice system.

The Energy Ministry announced higher prices for premium gasoline, regular gasoline, diesel and kerosene effective August 17, with diesel rising the most, while household cooking gas holds steady and vehicular LPG dips slightly.

Also reported by: Radio HRN

Honduras's official cost-of-living index now tracks 405 items—housing, utilities, transportation, health care and digital services—capturing the true expenses families face beyond groceries.

State power utility ENEE ran up a L11.2 billion (about $450 million) deficit in the first seven months of 2026, with electricity theft and illegal connections behind roughly 75% of its losses, according to a civil-society analysis presented to energy regulators and Congress.

Also reported by: Radio Cadena Voces (RCV)

The national power company will cut electricity to neighborhoods across three departments on August 15 for transmission-line maintenance and private contractor work, with outages lasting seven to eight hours depending on the area.

Health officials confirmed the first case of pertussis, or whooping cough, in Lempira Department—a hospitalized 11-month-old from Erandique—as the outbreak has now killed 17 children nationwide, and they urged vaccination, especially for women in their final trimester of pregnancy.

Flor Cuevar, a young woman from Gracias, Lempira, died in a crash in the El Sile area, stunning family and friends as authorities investigate what happened.

Honduras recorded over 1,600 seismic events from 2023 through July 2026, most of them minor and concentrated in Cortés, Comayagua and the Gulf of Fonseca along tectonic plates and fault lines, though none caused reported damage.

Tegucigalpa's water authority has cut service to once every nine days as reservoirs near critical levels, and officials warn supplies could run dangerously low in the coming weeks without rain.

The Tegucigalpa mayor's office has teamed up with Honduran student Siena Callizo, who studies robotics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, to launch Sueño STEM, a program bringing robotics and digital-skills training to public-school children in the capital.

Seventy-five municipalities across Honduras are facing prolonged drought, with 50 receiving emergency food aid, and heavier rains are forecast to begin in early September, according to atmospheric satellite data.

Also reported by: Radio Cadena Voces (RCV)

Tela's city government unveiled plans for a 1.5-kilometer linear park along a defunct canal, a tourism pier for boats and yachts, and a bike path to upgrade public spaces and marine tourism, though the projects remain in the design phase pending permits and financing.

Honduran forward Dereck Moncada came off the bench in FC Lugano's 2-2 draw at NSI Runavik, enough for the Swiss club to advance 4-2 on aggregate to the UEFA Conference League playoffs against CSKA Sofia.

Motagua drew 1–1 at home with Costa Rica's Cartaginés in the Concacaf Central American Cup group stage, leaving the Honduran club needing a result in its final match at Guatemala's Municipal to reach the knockout round.

Also reported by: Radio América

Police arrested Jesús Daniel Tróchez (alias "El Diablo") and Carlos Eduardo Zaldívar (alias "El Texas") over the August 10 killing of Roberto Chavarría during an armed robbery at a supermarket in Olanchito, Yoro; Tróchez has prior arrests.

The National Police expanded its intervention strategy from 30 to 50 municipalities nationwide to keep criminal gangs from shifting operations to areas with a lighter police presence, according to the police communications director.