Honduras sees surge in violence as new security package expands militarization

President Nasry Asfura’s administration, backed by a bipartisan parliamentary majority, has moved quickly to tighten control over institutions and open the door to the sale of public lands and exploitation of common resources. Within the first three months, the government introduced a "security package" that overhauls the criminal code, adding offenses such as association with terrorist purposes, expanding penalties for extortion, and creating new categories for youth gangs and organized crime groups.

According to the Observatory of Violence at the National Autonomous University of Honduras, homicide rates that had fallen under the previous progressive government rose sharply in early 2026, with 598 violent deaths—including six massacres—in the first quarter, a 6 % increase over the prior year. The toll includes at least 137 minors and 70 femicides. The new legislation also raises penalties for "usurpation," a charge often used against indigenous, Garífuna and peasant communities defending ancestral lands, potentially imposing sentences of 25‑35 years.

The reforms authorize the armed forces to assist police in public‑security duties, establish a National Agency against Crime with special units, and green‑light the construction of high‑security prisons. Human‑rights lawyers warn that the broad language of the laws could be employed to suppress peaceful protests and social movements.