# Honduras violence escalates: murders, femicide, protests > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/honduras-violence-and-militarized-security > Updated: 2026-08-03T06:46:59.000Z. Sources: 35. Developments: 24. Violence in Honduras remains acute in 2026, with the Observatorio Nacional de la Violencia recording an average of six violent deaths per day and more than 1,000 victims so far this year. Women continue to be disproportionately affected; the femicide toll reached 135 in 2026, with 95 % of cases remaining impunity‑free. Human‑rights groups note at least 108 women murdered and over 160 women killed overall in 2026, many in the departments of Francisco Morazón, Cortés, Olancho and Yoro. The government has pursued a hard‑line security agenda. A new “security package” overhauled the criminal code, added offenses for terrorist association, expanded penalties for extortion, and authorized the armed forces to assist police. Penal reforms introduced life sentences for attacks on security personnel and raised femicide penalties to a maximum of 60 years, alongside a women‑only judges circuit. A comprehensive amendment to the domestic‑violence law now bans convicted perpetrators from driving, owning firearms, or holding public office and mandates electronic monitoring and a national offender registry. High‑profile murders continued: bodies of women were found in Tegucigalpa’s Los Pinos neighbourhood, Juticalpa, and Comayagüela; a transgender woman was killed in Olanchito; and a lawyer survived an attack in El Progreso. Organized‑crime massacres claimed 75 lives in the first months of the year. The Congress also passed the Beneficiary Final Law to combat money‑laundering and trafficking. Protests persisted, notably in Macuelizo where police used tear‑gas against demonstrators demanding an end to a school project and the privatization of ENEE. Officials claim a modest homicide decline, but experts warn that tougher penalties will not curb violence without broader justice‑system reforms and stronger protection for children, who face a surge in sexual abuse, trafficking and “autosecuestros.” ## Timeline ### 2026-08-03: Honduras Confronts Surge in Unsolved Femicides Amid Celebration of Garifuna Women Honduras reports over 8,540 femicides since 2002 with 95 % impunity, while more than 100 Garifuna women are honored for their societal contributions. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-confronts-surge-in-unsolved-femicides-amid-celebration-of-garifuna-women ### 2026-08-01: Honduras and Ecuador see deadly attacks on women, underscoring gender violence A woman was murdered in Catacamas, Honduras, and Ecuador sentenced two men to over 34 years for killing student Alison Altamirino, underscoring gender violence in Latin America. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-and-ecuador-see-deadly-attacks-on-women-underscoring-gender-violence ### 2026-07-31: Honduras sees surge, Chile reports decline in juvenile crime arrests Honduras reported a 78% rise in juvenile arrests in 2026, while Chile saw a 20% drop in adolescent penal entries over the past decade, highlighting divergent youth‑crime trends in the region. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-sees-surge-chile-reports-decline-in-juvenile-crime-arrests ### 2026-07-20: Honduran protests disrupt traffic nationwide, police fire tear gas in Macuelizo Multiple Honduras protests blocked roads nationwide; police used tear gas on peaceful demonstrators in Macuelizo over policy and school‑construction demands. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduran-protests-disrupt-traffic-nationwide-police-fire-tear-gas-in-macuelizo ### 2026-07-17: Honduras confronts surge in child sexual abuse and trafficking In Honduras a child is sexually abused every hour; 1,887 complaints were logged in 2025, over 90% unprosecuted, with 12 trafficking cases and 3,000 children under state care exposing a hidden crisis. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-confronts-surge-in-child-sexual-abuse-and-trafficking ### 2026-07-13: Honduras adopts stricter femicide penalties in penal code reforms Honduras passed penal code reforms imposing lifetime sentences for femicide, aiming to curb gender violence amid high murder rates; a lawyer plans a constitutional challenge. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-adopts-stricter-femicide-penalties-in-penal-code-reforms ### 2026-07-13: Honduras faces surge in child murders and fake kidnappings Honduras reported 1,330 child murders from 2020‑2026 and eight fake kidnappings in 2026, highlighting a broader crime surge and strained police resources. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-faces-surge-in-child-murders-and-fake-kidnappings ### 2026-07-09: Honduran child and adolescent violence kills over 1,300 in 78 months Honduran authorities say 1,330 children and adolescents were violently killed from 2020‑June 2026, with a 15 % rise in teen murders in early 2026, prompting calls for urgent protection measures. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduran-child-and-adolescent-violence-kills-over-1300-in-78-months ### 2026-07-08: Honduras reports six daily violent deaths, including trans woman killing in Olanchito Honduras faces an average of six daily violent deaths, with women and the LGBTIQ community hit hard; a transgender woman was murdered in Olanchito, prompting calls for protection. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-reports-six-daily-violent-deaths-including-trans-woman-killing-in-olanchito ### 2026-07-06: Honduras warns tougher femicide penalties won’t help without justice reforms Honduras has hardened femicide penalties and set up women‑led courts, but OV‑UNAH coordinator Migdonia Ayestas says without stronger justice institutions the reforms will be ineffective. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-warns-tougher-femicide-penalties-wont-help-without-justice-reforms ### 2026-07-03: Honduras security minister reports homicide decline, defends tear‑gas protests Honduran security minister Gerzón Velásquez said homicides fell by 40 and femicides by five in early 2026, noted crime shifting to drug routes, and defended tear‑gas use against protesters. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-reports-40-fewer-homicides-in-first-half-of-2026-minister-says ### 2026-06-20: 2026 Honduras femicide toll reaches 135, with 95% impunity Honduran observatory reports 135 femicides in 2026, 95% impunity; calls for harsher penalties and swift Alerta Morada response. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/2026-honduras-femicide-toll-reaches-135-with-95-impunity ### 2026-06-20: Brazil and Honduras pass sweeping domestic‑violence law reforms Brazil extends the complaint window for domestic‑violence victims to 12 months, while Honduras introduces an offender registry, firearm bans and public‑office prohibitions for convicted abusers. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brazil-and-honduras-pass-sweeping-domesticviolence-law-reforms ### 2026-06-19: Woman found dead in Comayagüela as Honduras’ femicide count rises A woman aged 35‑38 was found dead in a Comayagüela alley, adding to over 125 femicides reported in Honduras in 2026 amid rising domestic‑violence cases and limited shelters. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/woman-found-dead-in-comayagela-as-honduras-femicide-count-rises ### 2026-06-17: Honduras passes Beneficiary Final law to boost anti‑money‑laundering Honduras approved a Beneficiary Final law on June 16, establishing a central register to identify real owners of companies and to curb money‑laundering, terrorism financing and ghost firms, officials said. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-passes-beneficiary-final-law-to-boost-antimoneylaundering ### 2026-06-16: Honduras Congress backs penal reform imposing life sentences for attacks on security personnel Honduras' Congress approved a draft law adding life imprisonment for attacks on security and judicial officials, with harsher penalties for conspirators and organized‑crime groups. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-congress-backs-penal-reform-imposing-life-sentences-for-attacks-on-security-personnel ### 2026-06-13: Honduras sees surge in violence: lawyer survives attack, massacres claim 75 lives In Honduras, a lawyer survived a botched shooting while 16 massacres early in 2026 left 75 dead, heightening concerns over pervasive violence. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-sees-surge-in-violence-lawyer-survives-attack-massacres-claim-75-lives ### 2026-06-12: Honduran police probe murders of women in Tegucigalpa and Juticalpa Two separate murders of women—an unidentified victim in Tegucigalpa’s Los Pinos and 16‑year‑old Genesis Naomi Reyes in Juticalpa—highlight Honduras’s rising gender‑based violence, with over 100 women killed in 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduran-police-probe-murders-of-women-in-tegucigalpa-and-juticalpa ### 2026-06-11: Honduran Congress approves sweeping reforms to domestic‑violence law Honduras passes reforms to its domestic‑violence law, adding electronic monitoring, a national offender registry, and bans on licenses, firearms and public office for convicted abusers, amid constitutional‑lawy 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduran-congress-approves-sweeping-reforms-to-domesticviolence-law ### 2026-06-11: Honduran Congress passes sweeping reforms to domestic‑violence law Honduras’ Congress enacted major changes to its domestic‑violence law, banning convicted abusers from driving, owning firearms and holding public office. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduran-congress-passes-sweeping-reforms-to-domesticviolence-law ### 2026-06-09: Honduran Congress raises femicide prison terms up to 60 years and creates women‑only judges circuit Honduras' Congress hikes femicide penalties to as high as 60 years and creates a women‑only judicial circuit to address the country's severe femicide crisis. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduran-congress-raises-femicide-prison-terms-up-to-60-years-and-creates-womenonly-judges-circuit ### 2026-05-27: Honduras records 108 women killed and 15 mass murders in 2026 In 2026 Honduras logged 108 women murdered and 15 mass homicide events with 72 victims, amid a 95% impunity rate and growing public fear. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-records-108-women-killed-and-15-mass-murders-in-2026 ### 2026-05-25: Honduras sees surge in violence as new security package expands militarization Honduras' Asfura government expands militarized security powers, sees homicide rise to 598 deaths in Q1 2026, and passes broad criminal code reforms that could curb dissent. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-sees-surge-in-violence-as-new-security-package-expands-militarization ### 2026-05-14: Honduras experiences wave of murders, kidnappings and extortion in 2024 Violent crimes and extortion plagued Honduras throughout 2024, with multiple murders, kidnappings and public outcry. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/honduras-experiences-wave-of-murders-kidnappings-and-extortion-in-2024 --- Cite as: Honduras violence escalates: murders, femicide, protests. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/honduras-violence-and-militarized-security