Honduran riot police fired tear gas Monday at students protesting a proposed cut to the budget of the National Autonomous University of Honduras. About 300 students gathered outside the National Congress in Tegucigalpa to demand that lawmakers reject the reduction and honor the constitutional mandate that assigns 6 percent of the national budget to the university, known as UNAH.
The clash marked the first protest against President Nasry Asfura to turn violent as his administration confronts broader discontent over rising fuel prices and reductions in public spending and jobs. Police deployed tear gas after some protesters threw stones and sticks at the security cordon. At least one student was injured.
“If they say they care about students, then let them show it. They need to stop tear-gassing students when what we are demanding here is a right,” said student Daniela Pérez.
Asfura, who campaigned on austerity and received backing from U.S. President Donald Trump, proposed a 5.3 percent reduction to the 2026 national budget left by his predecessor, leftist former President Xiomara Castro. The change would cut overall spending by about $940 million.
Within that plan, officials sought to trim roughly $57 million from UNAH’s allocation. University leaders warned the move would eliminate scholarships for many students and threaten programs that provide meals and transportation. The proposed cut to UNAH amounted to about 1.44 billion lempiras from the amount the university had requested, according to university statements.
Shortly after the confrontation, Congress President Tomás Zambrano, a member of the ruling National Party, announced that lawmakers had reached an agreement with UNAH Rector Odir Fernández not to reduce the university’s budget. Zambrano said the protest had become unnecessary because the funding level for 2026 would remain at 7.753 billion lempiras, the same amount approved for the current year.
Even so, the full budget proposal must still go through debate in Congress. Misael Flores, secretary general of the Federation of University Students of Honduras, said the organizations would keep pressing their case. “We will keep raising our voices and saying that we do not want more cuts, we want more funding,” Flores said.
Student groups warned they will take further action if the government does not respect the budget established by law and move closer to the 6 percent constitutional requirement. The UNAH has long received far less than the 6 percent share spelled out in the constitution. University officials have said the shortfall limits expansion of academic programs and support services across its campuses.
Asfura’s administration has described the overall budget adjustments as necessary for fiscal responsibility after inheriting a larger spending plan from the previous government. The agreement announced Monday followed direct talks involving Asfura, the finance ministry and university authorities.
Zambrano called on all sides to maintain calm and allow the legislative process to continue without disruption. Student leaders said they would monitor the congressional debate closely and prepare additional mobilizations if the final approved budget falls short of commitments.
