Honduras Alert System Went to Firm Linked to Social Security Scandal
HONDURAS · PUBLIC CONTRACTS
Key Facts
- The country Honduras, in Central America, is regularly hit by hurricanes, floods and drought, so fast public warnings can save lives.
- Why it matters A new state system that pushes emergency alerts to mobile phones was tested on Thursday 24 September. Who built it now raises questions.
- What happened On 28 September Criterio.hn reported that the 49.8 million lempira (about US$1.9 million) contract, signed on 11 September 2025, went to the ITG-HTECSA consortium.
- Who is involved Criterio.hn and Contracorriente say lead firm ITG shares shareholders with Sistemas Abiertos, a company at the centre of a social security fraud. ITG has not been convicted.
- What it means for you Phones in Honduras may sound further test alerts; iPhone tests are next. The warnings work; the dispute is over how the contract was awarded.
- Still open Whether auditors or prosecutors will review the tender. The contracting office and ITG’s business group have not answered the reporters’ questions.
The new Honduras alert system sends emergency warnings to mobile phones, and Android users got a test on Thursday 24 September. On Monday the investigative outlet Criterio.hn reported who built it, and the answer revives an old scandal.
The 49.8 million lempira (about US$1.9 million) contract went to the ITG-HTECSA consortium in September 2025, under former president Xiomara Castro. According to Criterio.hn and Contracorriente, its lead firm shares shareholders with a company central to a social security fraud.
What the contract covers
Criterio.hn reviewed contract DIGER-AGEHRED-047-2025, signed on 11 September 2025 by the Directorate for Management by Results (DIGER). DIGER is the government office that runs several state digital projects.
The deal was meant to last four months. Three amendments, the last approved by Congress as Legislative Decree 125-2026, extended it to 10 July 2026, both outlets report.
The Honduras alert system sends location-based warnings through the Tigo and Claro mobile networks. Conatel, the telecoms regulator, says the 911 emergency service will test iPhones next, La Prensa reported.
The link to the social security fraud
The Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS), the workers’ health insurer, lost around 7 billion lempiras (about US$260 million) in 2010–2015, Criterio.hn says. Sistemas Abiertos held a US$35.4 million hospital-software contract there, later raised to US$43.9 million, Contracorriente reports.
The outlet says the state audit court (TSC) ordered Sistemas Abiertos to repay US$21 million, including guarantees, for overpricing and failures. It cites the National Anti-Corruption Council (CNA), a civil-society watchdog, as finding that ITG took over Sistemas Abiertos’ business in 2016.
ITG has not been convicted in the social security case, Contracorriente notes. Criterio.hn said DIGER’s director, Elmer Ferrera, had not replied to its questions.
A contract that spans two governments
Castro’s left-wing Libre party awarded the deal. President Nasry Asfura of the National Party, in office since January, oversaw the tests (see Honduras Explained 2026: The Country, Its Politics, Its Economy and What to Watch).
Former Castro officials, including Miroslava Cerpas, who headed the board running the 911 service, claim credit for the project online, Criterio.hn reported. Former deputy human rights minister Longino Becerra said the phone companies delayed the launch because elections were near.
What Is Not Yet Known
It is unclear whether prosecutors, the audit court or Congress will examine how the consortium won tender CPI-DIGER-CF-001-2025. Contracorriente says the tender file is missing from DIGER’s transparency pages and from Honducompras, the state procurement portal.
It is also unknown how much has been paid and whether the system is fully delivered. No date has been given for the iPhone tests.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Honduras’ new phone alert system?
A state system that pushes emergency alerts to mobile phones, tested on 24 September; the contract is worth 49.8 million lempira (about US$1.9 million).
What is the scandal link?
Criterio.hn and Contracorriente say lead contractor ITG shares shareholders with Sistemas Abiertos, a company at the centre of a social security fraud; ITG has not been convicted.
When was the contract signed?
On 11 September 2025, so it spans two governments.
Does the alert system work?
Yes. The warnings work and further tests are planned, including for iPhones; the dispute is over how the contract was awarded.
Sources: Criterio.hn, 28 September 2026; Contracorriente, 14 September 2026; Criterio.hn, December 2024; La Prensa; El Heraldo.
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