Honduran President Nasry Asfura has incorporated a former state official into his advisory circle whose background had previously surfaced in probes concerning suspected mismanagement within public administration. Martínez Lozano received his appointment on April 1, 2026, at the Presidential Palace, even though the exact responsibilities he will shoulder inside the executive branch were not initially revealed.
Martínez Lozano was linked back in 2019 to the proceedings known as the Gualcarque Fraud, which connected directly to the Agua Zarca hydroelectric venture. The inquiry, spearheaded by the former Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) alongside the Special Prosecutor’s Unit Against Impunity for Corruption (UFECIC), uncovered potential corruption in the awarding of contracts to Desarrollos Energéticos S.A. (DESA).
The matter also linked to grievances voiced by Indigenous and environmental activist Berta Cáceres, who had previously pointed out potential irregularities tied to the initiative prior to her assassination in March 2016. Nevertheless, during May 2024, a dedicated anti-corruption tribunal cleared Martínez Lozano of charges upon concluding that his penal culpability remained unestablished. Additional participants implicated in the proceeding were found guilty of crimes encompassing fraud and document falsification.
The former official also appeared in investigations conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Council (CNA) between 2016 and 2018 concerning his management of the National Electric Power Company (ENEE). One of those investigations alleged an approximately 120 million lempira loss through service contracts that, according to the organization, may not have been carried out or could have been used to divert public funds. Martínez Lozano has rejected those allegations, describing them as unfounded.
Another investigation presented by the CNA in 2018 examined possible irregularities in the awarding of contracts by the state-owned electricity company that allegedly benefited structures linked to the Rivera Maradiaga family, associated with the group known as Los Cachiros. The allegations included contracts for services that apparently were not performed and payments related to the maintenance of land where no work activity was reportedly recorded.
Martínez Lozano’s arrival on Asfura’s team has once again raised questions about the criteria used to select officials and advisers within the public administration. The appointment follows the designation of former National Party congresswoman Gladys Aurora López as a presidential delegate, despite facing legal proceedings over alleged misuse of public funds.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the allegations against López involve resources initially designated for a social electrification initiative in Opatoro, La Paz, which were purportedly redirected to back private building ventures in San Pedro Sula. The ex-congresswoman is undergoing legal proceedings while remaining at liberty under precautionary measures.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano — Resumen Latinoamericano
