By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-10-03 10:32:13 | Updated at 2026-10-03 12:18:26
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ECONOMY · HONDURAS
Key Facts
- —The country Honduras, Central America’s second-most populous nation, is debating a draft 2027 budget of L455.37bn (about US$17.0bn), presented to Congress on 14 September 2026.
- —What happened On 2 October 2026, Criterio.hn reported that the draft lifts the Security Ministry 10.8% to L14.78bn (about US$550m), while oversight and anti-corruption bodies lose money.
- —The numbers Finance Ministry tables dated 14 September 2026 show the state attorney (PGR) down 18.4%, the records regulator (IAIP) down 13.0%, the audit court flat and the transparency ministry at zero.
- —What it means for you More money goes to police and the armed forces. The bodies that audit spending and answer requests for public records would work with L183m (about US$6.8m) less.
- —Still open No final congressional vote on the draft had been reported as of 3 October 2026. Lawmakers can still move money between institutions before approval.
The Honduras 2027 budget draft gives the Security Ministry, which runs the national police, L14.78bn (about US$550m). That is 10.8% more than in the approved 2026 budget, according to Finance Ministry tables dated 14 September.
The same tables cut funding for the bodies that audit public money, release official records and defend the state in court. Criterio.hn, an independent news site in Tegucigalpa, set out the contrast on 2 October.
Where the extra money goes
Security rises from L13.34bn (about US$497m) in 2026, an increase of L1.44bn (about US$54m). Lempira amounts are converted at 26.85 per US dollar, the rate at the close on 2 October 2026.
The Defence Ministry grows 7.8% to L13.33bn (about US$497m), as Rio Times reported in Honduras 2027 Budget Puts University Behind Defence. Together, the two ministries would receive L28.11bn (about US$1.05bn), 9.3% more than this year.
The courts gain as well. The Judiciary rises 8.2% to L4.76bn (about US$177m), and the police disciplinary office, Didadpol, grows 6.0%.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office, which brings criminal cases, edges up 0.9% to L2.86bn (about US$106m). The national prison institute slips 1.4% to L3.43bn (about US$128m).
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The oversight bodies that lose
The Attorney General’s office (PGR), the state’s lawyer in legal disputes, falls 18.4% to L355m (about US$13m). Criterio.hn notes that it took over the work of the abolished Transparency and Anti-Corruption Ministry.
That ministry, known as STLCC, had L93m (about US$3.5m) in 2026. The Finance Ministry table lists its 2027 allocation at zero.
The Institute for Access to Public Information (IAIP), which rules on requests for official records, drops 13.0% to L56.6m (about US$2.1m). The audit court (TSC), which checks how public money is spent, stays almost flat at L777m (about US$29m).
Taken together, the four oversight lines fall 13.3% to L1.19bn (about US$44m), a Rio Times calculation from the Finance Ministry tables. That equals about 4% of what Security and Defence would receive.
A tight budget with other losers
The overall draft totals L455.37bn (about US$17.0bn), 2.5% above the approved 2026 budget, the Finance Ministry said. Finance Minister Emilio Hernández Hércules called it a “real, financeable” budget with a deficit target of 1% of GDP.
The oversight bodies are not the only ones squeezed. The Infrastructure and Transport Ministry loses 30.2%, falling to L12.28bn (about US$457m), while Education gains 11.3%.
Economist Ismael Zepeda, quoted by Criterio.hn, said large allocations mean little without effective controls on spending. He also pointed to the absence of an international anti-corruption commission (CICIH), a long-standing demand of civil society groups.
Transparency was already at issue in this draft. Rio Times reported that the Honduras 2027 Budget Draft Keeps Congress and Presidency Spending Secret.
What Is Not Yet Known
The tables do not show whether the PGR received staff or money for its new anti-corruption duties. Criterio.hn did not report an official explanation for the cuts.
Zepeda said the audit court and the PGR would get more money, but the Finance Ministry tables show reductions for both. No final vote has been reported, and the 2026 comparison uses approved figures, not actual spending.
Sources: Criterio.hn, 2 Oct 2026; Finance Ministry (Sefin), 2027 draft budget by institution, comparative table, 14 Sep 2026; Finance Ministry, statement on the 2027 draft budget, 22 Sep 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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