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.
Between 2016 and 2018, the ex-official was likewise implicated in probes carried out by the National Anti-Corruption Council (CNA) regarding his oversight of the National Electric Power Company (ENEE). One such inquiry pointed to an estimated 120 million lempira deficit stemming from service agreements which, the entity asserted, might never have been executed or could have served as a conduit for embezzling state resources. Martínez Lozano has dismissed these accusations, characterizing them as groundless.
A separate probe released by the CNA back in 2018 looked into potential wrongdoings regarding contract allocations by the state electricity utility, which reportedly favored entities connected to the Rivera Maradiaga family, a clan tied to the syndicate called Los Cachiros. The accusations encompassed agreements for services that seemingly went unfulfilled alongside disbursements tied to land upkeep where zero operational activity was apparently documented.
Martínez Lozano’s incorporation into Asfura’s team has once more sparked debate regarding the standards applied when choosing public officials and advisors for government roles. This designation comes on the heels of former National Party congresswoman Gladys Aurora López being named a presidential delegate, even though she faces ongoing legal proceedings concerning the alleged misappropriation of state 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
