Honduras Daily by Location

Honduras's financial-intermediation sector grew 11.9% through May 2026, driven by increased lending to services, agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and consumer spending, boosting bank interest and commission income.

Honduras's IMAE economic index rose 3.3% in the first five months of 2026, driven by credit expansion and rising demand for some agricultural goods, despite global pressure from rising input costs.

Transport union leader Wilmer Cálix said the government must pay a pending compensation bonus to keep urban bus fares unchanged; without it, the sector will seek a fare increase to cover rising diesel and parts costs.

Honduras's agricultural sector expanded 4.5%, driven by increased coffee, banana, fruit, and palm oil production, while fishing grew on higher shrimp and tilapia exports.

The government approved a decree prohibiting imports of products made through forced labor, citing compliance with International Labour Organization conventions and protection of market access for Honduran exports to the United States and other key partners.

Transport union leader Wilmer Cálix says the government owes the sector L200 million (about $8 million) in compensatory bonuses—four months in San Pedro Sula and three in Tegucigalpa—and warned that without payment, drivers will need to work with authorities on operational changes to avoid service disruptions amid rising fuel costs.

Juliette Handal, president of the Patriotic and Solidarity Coalition, called on the government to meet with business sectors to prevent them from raising prices in response to fuel-cost pressures.

A new batch of John Deere equipment — including backhoes, graders, tractors, and compactors — is set for distribution to all 298 municipalities within 20 days, intended to help local governments maintain secondary and tertiary road networks.

A teacher union leader rejected an Association for a More Just Society report claiming Honduras lost about nine days of classes in the first half of 2026, arguing the union held only two protest days and that other interruptions stemmed from administrative changes, not teacher action.

Tourism Minister Andrés Ehrler unveiled the "Vámonos a Honduras" campaign targeting 15,000 Salvadoran visitors during El Salvador's Semana Agostina holiday (August 1–6), using billboard, border-zone, and digital advertising to promote new Honduran destinations.

Honduras's Independence Day parades on September 15 will not feature the traditional military parachute display after two officers were injured during last year's show; the Armed Forces will instead conduct parachute demonstrations on September 5 and 12 at a separate venue.

Labor leader Hilario Espinoza said inspectors are distributed nationwide to verify employers are paying the legal minimum wage, though he acknowledged enforcement challenges and noted inflation has risen to 6%, approaching the 7% threshold that would trigger wage renegotiation.

Family remittances to Honduras reached $6.59 billion in the first half of 2026, a 11.9% jump from the same period last year and above the Central Bank's projected 3.5% growth; if the trend holds, annual remittances may exceed $13.5 billion.

The head of Honduras's transit authority said if fuel prices continue declining, the agency will review taxi fares to determine possible rate reductions for passengers.

The National Congress reconvenes on July 21 with a final debate on proposed reforms to Honduras's electricity law, which President Asfura says are necessary to stabilize the state power company (ENEE), though opposition parties continue to reject the changes.

Though the government distributed $6 million in medicines across six departments as part of an emergency decree, doctors and patients report that shortages of staff, surgical supplies, fentanilo, and operating-room repairs continue to undermine public hospital care and lengthen surgical waiting lists nationwide.

Former anti-corruption unit chief Luis Javier Santos says the Superior Court of Accounts issued clearance documents that accused officials used to avoid criminal prosecution, calling the institution a politically controlled body that served to shield the corrupt rather than hold them accountable.

Coffee grower Fredy Pastrana warns that Honduras's coffee industry is losing production due to a shortage of pickers, exacerbated by poor road conditions and lack of basic services in coffee-growing areas, and calls for policies to make farm work more attractive.

ENEE has scheduled power outages on July 17 in multiple zones nationwide for maintenance work; specific times and affected areas are listed on the utility's website.

The Central Bank of Honduras will take its digital portal offline on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, for system improvements, resuming normal service Monday, July 20.

Honduras is projected to export more than 7 million 100-pound sacks of coffee this season, generating $2.2–2.3 billion in revenue, boosted by strong international prices and demand from the US and Europe, though financing and infrastructure remain key challenges for the sector.

The US Department of Homeland Security has capped international student visa stays at four years and foreign journalist permits at 240 days (eight months), with extensions available if approved, affecting Honduran students and media professionals seeking to work or study in the United States.

Vice President María Antonieta Mejía has called on lawmakers to hold a technical debate on proposed reforms to the state-run electricity company ENEE, which faces losses of about 16 billion lempiras (roughly $640 million) and is hampering public investment in education and infrastructure.

The president of the Medical College says public hospitals are canceling operations due to shortages of sterile surgical supplies, sutures, and lab reagents—a broader crisis beyond the fentanyl shortage—while questioning the government's accounting of emergency surgeries performed in private centers.

Honduras's national human-rights ombudsman cited an average of 29 violent deaths of women per month over 24 years and warned that legal penalties alone cannot stop gender violence without stronger investigations, prevention policies, and institutional safeguards for vulnerable women and girls.

The president of Tegucigalpa's Chamber of Commerce and Industries says Honduras's newly approved part-time employment law is a step forward but contains ambiguities that limit its effectiveness, and urges government, Congress, and stakeholders to form a dialogue table to strengthen and clarify the law through consensus.

Honduras will distribute approximately 2,100 units of heavy machinery worth $244 million to all 298 municipalities, with each receiving a standardized kit including tractors, graders, and water trucks, plus factory maintenance and satellite monitoring.

Congress is set to debate a reform that would open ENEE's transmission network—the last segment still under state control—to private investment, as the Asfura government seeks to restructure the loss-making utility.

The cabinet approved an executive decree prohibiting the import of goods produced under forced labor, fulfilling Honduras's commitments to the International Labour Organization and the US free-trade agreement.

Coffee industry leader Fredy Pastrana warned that Honduras must accelerate compliance with the European Union's deforestation regulation before the new coffee year begins, noting the country is advancing geolocation of farms and market standards to maintain access to a key export market.