Saturday, October 17, 2026 — Evening Edition

A proposed reform would let authorities use more than 353 million lempiras (about $14 million) seized in the Koriun Inversiones scheme to fight crime, leaving investors unsure whether they could recover their money if the case ends in acquittal.

Italy will open 165,850 jobs to foreign workers in 2027 in agriculture, tourism, construction, and care work, but Honduras is not among the Latin American countries with reserved slots, though Hondurans may still apply for non-quota categories if an Italian employer sponsors them.

A representative of the Mennonite Action Commission's human mobility program said the two recent migrant caravans reflect a long-standing failure by the Honduran government to build sustainable solutions, warning that migrants face trafficking networks with little investigation or protection.

Manuel Zelaya, the Libre party coordinator, returned to Honduras on October 15 after being discharged in Mexico following treatment for a heart condition, saying he will resume party work while continuing outpatient care at home.

Also reported by: Once Noticias

Honduras's Supreme Court named judges to hear a petition to lift a migration alert tied to former president Juan Orlando Hernández and to take up a separate Public Ministry request in a preparatory investigation.

Also reported by: Radio América Honduras

Congressional security committees will travel to El Salvador to study the CECOT high-security prison model as lawmakers weigh penal reforms to fight organized crime.

Honduras's municipal association (AMHON) and the UN Development Program signed a four-year memorandum to strengthen local governance, advance decentralization, and promote sustainable development across Honduran municipalities.

Also reported by: Radio América Honduras

Honduras's net international reserves have grown by $1.21 billion since late January, reaching $11.51 billion as of October 15 and covering 6.6 months of imports.

Honduras's state power utility cut its arrears to energy generators from more than L16 billion to L7.4 billion (about $296 million) through payments topping L9 billion since April, while beginning to forgive residential customer debts under a new energy-justice law that could benefit up to 80,000 families.

The central bank reports that Honduras's banking system holds adequate liquidity and is actively managing short-term funding needs, with interbank trading and central bank window activity rising in 2026.

Economist Ismael Zepeda warned that high inflation is directly weakening Hondurans' purchasing power and slowing domestic spending, forcing families to choose between paying utilities, buying food, and buying fuel.

Inspectors who checked 70 Chinese-owned shops in central Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela found that 68 to 70% lacked proper municipal permits, tax registration, or legitimate import papers, and warned of temporary or permanent closures for those out of compliance.

Also reported by: Radio América Honduras

The banking regulator CNBS is piloting a centralized beneficial-ownership registry with the private sector and FOPRIDEH to strengthen corporate transparency and curb illicit activity.

Economic Development Minister Eddy Ordóñez said the government reviews import requests for staples like rice and beans to protect local producers, runs more than 9,000 inspections nationwide, and has launched a digital complaint system to track price gouging and market violations.

Honduras's transportation ministry is tendering contracts to pave 29 km of Route RN-119 between Guayambre Bridge and Palestina and to rebuild 6 km in concrete between Patuca and Nueva Choluteca, seeking to ease travel and trade in the farming and ranching zones of Olancho.

A 10-year-old girl was admitted to Hospital Mario Catarino Rivas after a pit bull bit both her legs repeatedly while she was trespassing on private property; surgeons saved her legs but she will be left with severe scarring, and doctors are watching her for possible rabies.

The Health Ministry urged physicians to return to work at once, saying 97% of doctors are up to date on their pay amid an ongoing labor dispute.

Also reported by: Infobae – Honduras

The United States has donated 83 water, sanitation, and hygiene kits to Honduran schools hit by drought, aimed at improving access to clean water and basic hygiene facilities.

Honduras's disaster agency kept a 48-hour green alert in place for vulnerable areas around Lake Yojoa and the Central District as a tropical wave is expected to bring heavy rain, flooding, and landslides to eastern, central, and southwestern regions.

Dereck Moncada, 18, of Talanga scored in FC Lugano's 3–2 Conference League win over Estrella Roja on October 15, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a UEFA competition.

Police arrested José Mauricio Interiano Perdomo, alias Casper, identified as a leader of the El Mudo gang in San Pedro Sula; authorities link him to a mass killing in April 2021 and say the group carries out home robberies, armed assaults, and murders.

Also reported by: Policía Nacional de Honduras

Andrés Cerna, an elderly man from Yoro, was struck and killed by a pickup truck on the CA-5 highway in Villanueva, Cortés, as he crossed the median on his way to San Pedro Sula after a trip to buy medicine.