Honduran court acquits Parlacen legislator of embezzlement charges

A special court in Honduras has acquitted Gladis Aurora López, a legislator for the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) and former member of the ruling National Party, of embezzlement charges. The accusations stemmed from a public electrification project.

The Public Ministry had accused López of misusing public funds in 2025. Prosecutors alleged she withdrew materials from the National Electric Energy Company (ENEE) designated for an electrification plan in La Ceibita, a community in the Opatoro municipality. These materials were later found at a private project in San Pedro Sula, Honduras's second-largest city.

The Court of Appeals accepted an appeal filed by López's defense, leading to the acquittal. The decision also benefits Ricardo Enrique Padilla, former head of planning at the Social Fund for Electric Development (FOSODE), who faced charges of dereliction of duty. Wilmer Giovanni Vázquez, former coordinator of the Municipal Unit for Environment in Opatoro, was also cleared of charges related to the alleged forgery of public documents.

According to the Technical Agency for Criminal Investigation (ATIC), López requested electrification materials in June 2021 for a social project in La Ceibita, claiming the necessary labor was available. However, investigations revealed the community already had electricity service since 2019 through a municipal project. The prosecution argued that using the materials for a different purpose constituted embezzlement, causing a loss of approximately $10,900 to the state.