Tourists visiting Nicaragua are no longer permitted to carry Bibles into the country. A report from CentroAmérica360 explains that items prohibited from entering the country now include “drones, magazines, printed newspapers and Bibles,” as well as firearms and sharp objects.
Notices were placed on Tica Bus terminals in Costa Rica, where buses depart to Managua. A representative from Tica Bus El Salvador confirmed the development telling Christian Solidarity Worldwide, “Nicaragua does not permit the entry of Bibles, newspapers, magazines, books of any kind, drones and cameras.” Another representative said the policy has been in effect for six months.
Director of Advocacy and Americas Team Leader Anna Lee Stangl for CSW said in a statement on the matter, “The Nicaraguan government’s efforts to restrict the entry of Bibles, other books, newspapers and magazines into the country are highly concerning given the current context of repression.”
“We call on the government of Nicaragua to lift this ban immediately, and to cease its continued efforts to stifle freedom of religion or belief and expression in the country,” Stangl noted. “We also reiterate our call on the international community to seek creative ways to support and strengthen independent Nicaraguan voices both inside the country and in exile.”
CSW reports that recent crackdowns on religious freedoms have led to faith leaders being “subjected to short- and long-term arbitrary detention, and public religious events and processions are prohibited for all but a few groups that are aligned with and supportive of the authorities.” More than 1,300 religious organizations have also been shut down since 2018.
