Authorities prohibit tourists from bringing Bibles into the country

An international transport company based in Central America has been forced to add Bibles, books, magazines and printed newspapers to the list of items prohibited from entering Nicaragua.

The Central American media outlet CentroAmérica360 reports that notices placed at Tica Bus terminals in Costa Rica from which the company’s trips to the Nicaraguan capital Managua depart include the newly prohibited items alongside sharp objects and perishable food. Drones have also been added to the list.

A representative from Tica Bus El Salvador confirmed the existence of the policy to CSW, stating: ‘Nicaragua does not permit the entry of Bibles, newspapers, magazines, books of any kind, drones and cameras.’

A second representative from Tica Bus Honduras also confirmed the existence of the policy, adding that it has been in place for over six months.

The introduction of these restrictions comes amid a continued and significant deterioration in the rights to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and expression in Nicaragua. Religious leaders are routinely 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.

The government has also forcibly shut down more than 5,000 independent civil society organisations (iCSOs), including over 1,300 organisations of a religious nature, since April 2018, and taken a range of measures against independent media including a customs limit on ink and paper which led to the 2019 closure of the 40-year-old El Nuevo Diario, which was one of the newspapers most critical of the regime.

CSW’s Director of Advocacy and Americas Team Leader Anna Lee Stangl said: ‘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. 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.’