Wednesday, September 2, 2026 — Evening Edition

Honduras's immigration authority reported that 24,837 Chinese citizens entered the country illegally between 2014 and now, including a sharp spike of 12,184 in 2023 after Honduras established diplomatic relations with China, prompting congressional scrutiny.

Fernando Suárez, convicted of embezzlement and fraud in the Pandora case over misappropriated agriculture ministry funds, has been released after serving his sentence but still owes the state a fine of 288 million lempiras (about $11.5 million).

A Honduran court on September 1 dismissed the charges against former president Juan Orlando Hernández in the Pandora II case and ordered his release, ruling that prosecutors failed to prove he diverted $10.8 million to his 2013 campaign while he led Congress.

Also reported by: La Prensa, HCH, TuNota (Canal 5 / TSI)

Honduras's new Energy Justice Law freezes ENEE electricity rates for six months, lets eligible low-income households seek forgiveness of accrued debt on monthly consumption up to 250 kWh, and creates tax breaks for residential solar panels.

Agriculture Minister Moisés Molina says Honduras faces no food shortage and that markets are well stocked despite recent weather damage, with new harvests expected from mid-September.

Finance Minister Emilio Hernández Hércules said the government will submit its 2027 budget proposal to Congress on September 14, aiming to hold the fiscal deficit at 1.0% under the Fiscal Responsibility Law and avoid unsustainable debt.

Sergio Zepeda, director of UNAH's Institute for Economic and Social Research, urged the government to prioritize education, health, and productive investment in the 2027 budget due to Congress by September 15, arguing that spending must drive development, not just cover operating costs.

Tegucigalpa's municipal water authority restarted the Los Almendros well at a cost of L1.3 million (about $52,000), reviving a 300-gallon-per-minute source that serves roughly 15,000 residents as part of efforts to ease the city's water shortage.

Sixteen doctors at Puerto Lempira Hospital in Mosquitia say they have gone eight months without pay while continuing to work; health officials acknowledged the arrears and pledged to settle them this week.

The National Autonomous University of Honduras reversed its March decision to adopt the royal blue used by the ruling National Party, returning to the official turquoise sky-blue set by the 1866 flag decree and a 2021 university study.

Content creator Shin Fujiyama defended the $48,650 cost of a school he built in remote Umru, La Mosquitia, citing flood-proof foundations and the steep cost of hauling materials.

UNICEF reports that 3.9 million girls in Central America were married before age 15 between 2000 and 2022, with Honduras among the highest at 9%, and says the rate has barely changed in decades.

The El Niño phenomenon is intensifying and could push Pacific temperatures 3–4 °C above normal from October through December, with Cenaos director Francisco Argeñal warning of potentially record-breaking warming that could top the historical high of 2.7 °C.

Hondupino, Deportes Savio, and Parrillas One each won their first two matches of the 2026–2027 Apertura season in Honduras's Liga de Ascenso, while Victoria also notched its first win under new president Carlos Espina.

Mauricio Dubón of San Pedro Sula set a career-high 131 hits in a single MLB season, breaking his 2023 record with the Astros, as he helps Atlanta contend in the National League.

Isaac Sandoval, a TikTok personality, was arrested to serve an 18-month prison sentence for domestic violence against his ex-partner Daniela Aldana, after being acquitted in a separate case.

Also reported by: TuNota (Canal 5 / TSI)

Óscar Josué Zavala, 18, was shot dead in Choluteca's Suyapa neighborhood on August 31; his mother said she had warned him not to go out minutes before he was killed, and two others were wounded in the attack.

Allison Adriana Sánchez Montoya, 16, was shot in the head at her home in La Trinidad, Comayagua, on Sunday night when her brother Danilo allegedly opened fire as she answered the door; she died at Hospital Santa Teresa despite doctors' efforts.

Also reported by: El Heraldo, HCH, TuNota (Canal 5 / TSI)