Sunday, August 16, 2026 — Morning Edition

Congress president Tomás Zambrano said lawmakers will introduce a bill next week to strengthen the National Electoral Council (CNE), clarifying its powers to prevent the paralysis caused when members are absent or withdraw during elections.

Economist Amparo Canales says the lempira has weakened 1.69% against the US dollar so far in 2026, raising the cost of imported fuel, medicine, and production inputs and threatening to push consumer prices higher.

Five vegetables at Tegucigalpa's Farmers Market rose a combined L30 this week, and several cuts of beef climbed by up to four lempiras per pound, driven by a severe drought hitting crops and livestock.

The maquila industry supports about 130,000 jobs, makes up 45–50% of Honduras's gross exports, and expects $5.5 billion in shipments in 2026, though industry leaders say better investment conditions and security are needed to sustain that growth.

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

Infrastructure Secretary Aníbal Ehrler says landowners who bought property at $40 to $50 per vara (about 33 square meters) now demand $350 per vara when it is expropriated, a markup he calls excessive for public projects.

More than 260 people have died by suicide in Honduras in 2026, according to official SEPOL data, and experts warn that unemployment, economic despair, and social crisis are driving the alarming toll.

Danlí launched FESTIMA 2026 on August 11, the 47th International Corn Festival, celebrating the city's farming heritage and culture with pageants, traditional crafts, corn-based cuisine, sports, and performances.

The Margaritaville Island Reserve Resort Roatán, backed by a $330 million investment, is moving ahead with government support and is expected to create more than 1,500 construction and permanent jobs.

Genesis FC beat Platense 3–0 on August 15 in a Liga Nacional match marked by a first-ever joint broadcast by Diez, GoTV, and HCH from the Roberto Suazo Córdoba stadium in La Paz.

Uruguayan center-back Juan Manuel Capeluto has ended his contract with Real España by mutual agreement midway through the Apertura, asking to leave over limited playing time despite having six months left on his deal.

A US immigration appeals ruling means Hondurans with TPS, DACA, or a pending asylum case who leave the US — even on an authorized travel permit — could face a three- to ten-year re-entry ban if they built up more than 180 days of unlawful presence, advocates warn.

Dulce Ponce, 17, died on August 8 of injuries from a Louisiana car crash six days earlier, while her mother, Karina Oyuela, remains in ICE detention in Texas and has asked to be released or deported to Honduras to attend her daughter's funeral.

Brayan Sánchez, a Honduran truck driver the US deported to the Central African Republic in July along with four Cubans and an Ecuadorian, cannot legally return to the United States or Honduras; the Conadeh human-rights ombudsman is urging the government to issue him a passport and explore third-country resettlement that guarantees his safety and dignity.

Military police seized firearms, ammunition, cocaine, crack, marijuana, nearly 13,200 lempiras (about $530), and cellphones in a raid on the Brisas del Rosario neighborhood of Villanueva, Cortés; no arrests were reported.

A crash between a mototaxi and a motorcycle in Sabanagrande, Francisco Morazán, injured six people on Saturday, among them a child and a pedestrian struck by one of the vehicles; their conditions were not disclosed.

A 55-year-old woman from El Caracol, Choluteca, was treated for first-degree burns to her thigh and left arm after her son allegedly threw hot water on her; authorities are investigating, and the Public Ministry referred her for a surgical evaluation.

A preliminary hearing for three men accused of masterminding the September 2024 killing of environmental activist and former Tocoa councilman Juan López has been pushed to October 1, while two of the accused remain under house arrest rather than jailed pending trial — a decision a local defense committee says endangers López's family and other land defenders.