Monday, September 28, 2026 — Morning Edition

Melvin Cevallos, a Libre party activist, appeared Monday for a preliminary hearing on charges of electoral coercion and making threats tied to protests he led on July 7, 2025, that disrupted a CNE event involving the TREP election-results system.

Congress President Tomás Zambrano said he plans to bring together fuel importers, distributors, gas stations, and business groups to seek relief from rising diesel prices, while also pledging school infrastructure upgrades and AI training for 60,000 teachers.

Transport leader Wilmer Cálix said the sector will not stage a nationwide strike Monday despite rising fuel costs, though some drivers in San Pedro Sula and the north are weighing protests if the government fails to address operating expenses.

Unpaid electricity bills owed to Honduras's state power utility climbed to L21.1 billion (about $845 million) as of August 31, with residential customers accounting for more than half the debt despite repeated government relief programs.

Honduran coffee exports rose 17.6% to $2.02 billion through July 2026, but producers say higher revenue depends on shifting more volume toward premium-grade beans that fetch better prices.

The Central Bank auctioned $85.5 million on September 25, setting the weighted average exchange rate at L26.8935 per dollar for the weekend and Monday.

International banks and investors are showing interest in Honduras's electricity sector after passage of the Energy Justice Law, which sets up competitive bidding and auctions; the government estimates the sector needs about $6 billion to modernize infrastructure and expand coverage.

Tegucigalpa's road network, built for 250,000 vehicles a day, now carries more than 900,000, leaving residents to spend hours commuting on a system users call unsafe and exhausting.

UMAPS crews are using heavy equipment to repair a broken 10-inch PVC water line serving four neighborhoods — Reniel Fúnez, San Sebastián, Buenos Aires, and the Germania southern-exit corridor — during a water emergency, hoping to head off service cuts.

The Honduran Fire Department is keeping a round-the-clock watch over a sinkhole in Tegucigalpa's Kennedy neighborhood, where heavy rains have put several homes at risk, as the city works on stabilization measures.

Tegucigalpa's two largest reservoirs remain critically low — La Concepción at 24.74% and Los Laureles at 28.05% of capacity — stretching water-distribution cycles from 9 to 12 days as officials wait for sustained rain to refill supplies.

The Lancetilla Botanical Garden and Research Center, a Honduran landmark since 1926, marked its centennial with a ceremony honoring a century of work in biodiversity, environmental education, and forest conservation.

Rain fell across parts of the capital after cloud-seeding operations began, according to Radio América Honduras.

The coastal town of Omoa will host the Manatí Fest on October 3 at San Fernando Fortress, showcasing local food, artisans, and small-business vendors ahead of the Morazán holiday weekend to spotlight the region's natural wealth and manatee sanctuary.

Tegucigalpa's Capital Fest and related concerts, including a performance by Puerto Rican artist Ozuna marking the city's 448th anniversary, have been postponed from late September to December because of heavy rains.

Nery Alberto Mejía, a resident of El Salitre in Francisco Morazán, was found dead in the Río El Obispo three days after the current swept him away as he tried to cross a stream.

Honduras's National Police director says top leaders of MS-13, Barrio 18, and the Devil's Cartel remain at large or direct operations from prison, with no senior MS-13 chiefs arrested in four years despite U.S. rewards of up to $10 million for their capture.

Also reported by: TuNota (Canal 5 / TSI)

Assailants set fire to the tomb of Blanca Melissa Morales Torres, a former Honduran soldier who died in a 2023 traffic accident, at a Santa Cruz de Yojoa cemetery, damaging photos, flowers, and decorations; her family says the grave has been vandalized before and has asked police to review security footage.