Friday, October 16, 2026 — Evening Edition

Honduras's consul general in McAllen met with Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra to open channels for monitoring jailed Honduran citizens.

Francisco Ernesto Ruiz Nieto, former director of Honduras's asset-seizure office (OABI), was convicted of violating his official duties for moving 135 lots of seized jewelry and 28 watches from San Pedro Sula to Tegucigalpa in 2019 without proper procedure, after which items worth L1.27 million (about $51,000) went missing.

Congress unanimously approved two measures: one to fund a topographic study for a water-supply project serving five municipalities in El Paraíso Department, and another requesting L1.5 billion (about $60 million) to support coffee growers under economic strain.

Honduras's banking regulator has drawn up the country's first comprehensive national financial-inclusion strategy, backed by the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, to build a more inclusive, resilient, and innovative financial system by 2030.

An IMF technical mission arrives October 20 for the sixth and final review of Honduras's 2023–2026 agreement, a process running through November 2 that officials expect will unlock a final balance-of-payments disbursement of about $120 million.

Also reported by: Banco Central de Honduras (X), CNBS (Bank/Insurance regulator)

Honduras's banking regulator issued guidance on cybersecurity threats, advising users to avoid suspicious links, safeguard passwords, and verify digital transactions to prevent fraud in the financial system.

Honduras's public external debt reached $11.31 billion as of August 2026, up $571 million from December 2025, driven by $1.52 billion in new borrowing against $946 million in repayments, according to the Central Bank.

COHEP will hold the 2027 Human Resources Expo on January 28 in Tegucigalpa, gathering national and international experts to discuss productivity, leadership, and artificial intelligence, with networking and recruitment opportunities for businesses.

Tegucigalpa's municipal water utility released supply schedules through October 31, with most neighborhoods served every three to seven days depending on supply from four major systems, though actual arrival times may vary by location.

The state power utility ENEE will cut electricity to several neighborhoods and commercial zones in San Pedro Sula on October 17 for scheduled maintenance, with outages lasting four to six hours.

Also reported by: Radio HRN

A rockslide near Tutule has shut both lanes of the highway between La Paz and Marcala, with water running across the affected stretch and no timeline yet for reopening.

The capital's municipal risk office warns that almost 70% of Tegucigalpa is vulnerable to landslides, flooding, or subsidence, with 1,528 high-risk sites identified and more than 600,000 people living in 730 at-risk neighborhoods.

Honduras's hemophilia patients' group called on the government to set up a robust program for the estimated 371 Hondurans with the genetic bleeding disorder, citing critical shortages of coagulation-factor medicines and urging access to modern therapies such as emicizumab.

Roatán Hospital will finish lead-lining its X-ray room on Sunday and start radiological safety tests on Monday, after buying an eight-million-lempira Siemens digital X-ray system that officials say will let islanders get imaging locally instead of at private clinics.

Honduras has recorded 315 cases of human screwworm infection (myiasis) in 2026, exceeding all of 2025, with three deaths among people over 70; health authorities urge precautions including keeping wounds covered and avoiding sleeping outdoors near livestock.

Also reported by: Radio América

The US Embassy announced the 2027 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) scholarships for Honduran entrepreneurs aged 25–35, offering business training, mentorship, and a four-week professional exchange in the United States, with applications closing November 8.

Honduras's Kenpo Karate delegation claimed 23 podium finishes and an international full-contact championship at the 2026 IMAT World Martial Arts Championship in Argentina, where Santos Hernández Reyes was crowned full-contact champion.

Óscar Ávilez, a 16-year-old striker from Choluteca, started for DC United against the New York Red Bulls in an MLS match, learning of his selection just an hour before kickoff.

Brian Alexander Sánchez, 27, was identified as the body found in a bag and bearing signs of torture in the Ticamaya sector of Cortés; authorities are investigating the killing.

A San Pedro Sula trial court acquitted Brayan Isaac Garay Martínez of aggravated habitual family violence, ruling that prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence, and dismissed the case against him.

José Merlo was gravely injured in an alleged machete attack by his brother Denis in El Paraíso on October 15, hours after their father's funeral, in what authorities believe may stem from a dispute over a family coffee farm.

About 140 families were peacefully removed from an illegal settlement on private land in western La Ceiba after occupying it for more than a year; the owner had filed a legal claim to recover the property.