Honduras Daily by Location

A Liberal congressman introduced legislation to ensure workers applying for IHSS retirement benefits maintain medical coverage during the often-months-long processing period, arguing that some Hondurans risk death without treatment during the transition.

Lawmakers unanimously approved infrastructure contracts for 18 new classroom modules and rehabilitation of seven schools across five western departments, plus design and construction work at five hospitals nationwide, funded by international loans with sovereign guarantee.

President Nasry Asfura has written to the United States seeking mechanisms for a managed, predictable, and humane transition for Honduran families affected by the end of Temporary Protected Status, while proposing joint efforts on employment, investment, and shared security.

Honduras's manufacturing industry grew 1.5% in the first quarter of 2026, reversing a 3.0% contraction in the prior quarter, driven by increased demand for food and beverages including processed coffee, fish, oils, flour, and bakery products.

Gross domestic product expanded 1.2% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous quarter, the strongest first-quarter growth in recent years and well above the 0.1% recorded in late 2025, signaling moderate economic acceleration.

The International Monetary Fund is tracking Honduras's efforts to reform its electric sector, with pending actions still needed to address problems at the state-owned utility ENEE.

Rural, indigenous, and human-rights organizations filed a constitutional challenge seeking to suspend Decree 107-2026, which they say enables land seizures and strips protections from campesino and indigenous communities to shield agribusiness, energy, tourism, and ranching projects.

The National Congress unanimously approved 10 contracts funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and Central American Bank for Economic Integration to carry out social projects and consulting work across multiple departments, though lawmakers noted the absence of contract values in the vote.

Honduras's accounting tribunal will investigate L15.9 million (about $636,000) paid for two presidential meeting rooms at the Supreme Court during Rebeca Raquel Obando's tenure, after a failed public bid, a closed private bidding, and cost overruns of nearly L3 million above the original contract.

A court replaced pretrial detention with less restrictive measures for former judge Marco Antonio Vallecillo, accused of extortion, after the Constitutional Court found due-process violations; he must remain in Honduras, report regularly to court, and avoid contact with co-defendants.

Foreign direct investment in Honduras dropped 27% in the first six months of 2026 to $213 million, about $80 million less than the same period last year, the Central Bank confirmed.

Agriculture Minister Moisés Molina announced a six-month health emergency for highly pathogenic avian influenza in backyard poultry, enabling rapid inspections and containment measures across commercial farms and small holdings; the government says chicken and egg production will continue normally.

National Police arrested a man wanted for homicide who had evaded justice for more than two decades.

A specialized national tribunal convicted six people of drug trafficking, illegal weapons possession, and criminal association; sentencing is scheduled for August 7.

Transport operators say urban bus fares will remain at 13 lempiras despite recent fuel-price declines, citing other operating costs and a government subsidy three months in arrears.

Year-over-year inflation in Honduras reached 6.09% in May, up 1.55 percentage points from a year earlier, driven mainly by rising fuel prices that accounted for nearly half the overall price increase.

Foreign direct investment to Honduras continued to grow in the first three months of 2026, supporting economic activity, according to the Central Bank.

The number of Hondurans seeking refuge or asylum abroad reached 262,913 people in 2025, with the UN refugee agency citing crime-related violence, extortion, climate impacts, and economic collapse as drivers, while Honduras's human-rights ombudsman warns that early intervention could have kept many in the country.

Central Bank President Roberto Lagos said Honduras must prepare monetary and fiscal measures aligned with IMF recommendations to contain inflation, while currently monitoring how fuel prices ripple through the economy; he indicated no immediate rate adjustment is needed given US Federal Reserve policy.

Honduras's exports grew 2.8% quarter-over-quarter, driven by increased sales of coffee, crude oil, cigars, and services, while imports rose 2.1% due to higher purchases of industrial inputs, machinery, transport equipment, and fuel.

Agricultural production in Honduras declined 3.6% in the first quarter of 2026, reversing 2025's gains, driven mainly by drops in grain and coffee crops.

Spain will resume exporting pork to Honduras under national health controls and monitoring protocols, as Honduran pork producers watch how the reopened market develops.

Honduras's electric utility regulator approved a third rate increase for 2026 effective July 1, expected to raise bills 5–10% through September, pushing year-to-date increases to nearly 15% amid inflation above target and lempira depreciation.

Honduras's Supreme Court assigned Walter Miranda Sabio as the judge to handle cases involving former officials and ex-presidents under investigation in the so-called Pandora II corruption probe, following standard procedures for cases involving people with special legal status.

Honduras's National Migration Institute reminds travelers that passports must have at least six months of validity remaining to enter the US or Europe, and has opened 24-hour emergency passport centers at the country's major international airports.

Police say the homicide rate fell to 11.74 per 100,000 in the first six months of 2026, with 103 municipalities reporting zero killings, though experts urge independent verification and note femicides remain high at around 135 cases.

Honduras's air-defense capabilities depend on an experimental radar developed by Defense University engineering students, covering a 100-kilometer radius, after Israeli-purchased radars installed in 2013–2014 failed to function.

ENEE has announced power cuts on Wednesday, July 1 across multiple zones in Honduras; specific times and affected areas are listed on the utility's website.

The state power utility ENEE will cut electricity to neighborhoods across El Paraíso, Santa Bárbara, Cortés, and Yoro on July 1 for scheduled maintenance, with outages scheduled for various windows throughout the day.

Security Minister Gerson Velásquez confirmed that former president Juan Orlando Hernández will receive state protection as an ex-chief executive after the Supreme Court suspended his arrest warrant, allowing him to voluntarily appear before a judge to face pending criminal charges.