Nicaragua bans entry of Bibles, books, newspapers, cameras

· UPI

Dec. 23 (UPI) -- International transportation companies that operate routes to Nicaragua have been required to post notices warning passengers that bringing Bibles, newspapers, magazines, books of any kind, drones and cameras into the country is prohibited.

The measure has been in force for more than six months, despite the absence of any published official decree, and is enforced by immigration and customs authorities at border crossings, according to information documented and confirmed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a U.K.-based international organization that monitors violations of freedom of religion and belief.

"The Nicaraguan government's efforts to restrict the entry of Bibles, other books, newspapers and magazines into the country are deeply concerning given the current context of repression, Anna Lee Stangl, Christian Solidarity Worldwide's director of advocacy and team leader for the Americas, said in a public statement.

"We urge the government of Nicaragua to lift this ban immediately and to cease its ongoing efforts to repress freedom of religion, belief and expression in the country," she said.

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The statement also called on the international community to "seek creative ways to support and strengthen independent Nicaraguan voices, both inside the country and in exile."

Infovaticana, a Catholic news outlet, also reported on the situation in Nicaragua, publishing an article detailing the restrictions imposed by authorities. The outlet described the measure as confirming "the tightening of ideological and spiritual control imposed by the state."

Nicaraguan priest Edwin Román, who has been in exile in Miami since August 2021, said the ban is not an isolated administrative act, but raathera political decision with deep spiritual and social implications.

In comments reported by regional media, Román said, "Christ is the word that challenges and liberates. That is why they ban reading, not only religious texts but any reading that allows people to see a horizon different from the one the dictatorship seeks to impose."

The ban on printed materials adds to a broader pattern of repression documented by international organizations. According to those records, more than 5,000 civil society organizations have been shut down since 2018.

An analysis by digital outlet El Confidencial said the government of Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, which describes itself as "Christian" and "in solidarity," dismantled 1,323 associations, foundations, ministries and religious congregations in just 2 1/.3 years, mainly linked to Nicaragua's evangelical and Catholic churches.

In this context, several religious leaders have been arbitrarily detained and forced into exile.

Despite the scope of the measure, there is no decree, law or resolution formally banning entry of Bibles or printed materials.

Indeed, La Gaceta, Nicaragua's official journal for publishing laws and decrees, contains no reference to such a prohibition. The policy is applied de facto through verbal or administrative instructions, allowing the government to exert control without leaving a legal trace.

According to a report by the FLED Foundation cited by Forbes Centroamérica, Nicaragua is undergoing systematic repression of the press.

Since 2018, 61 media outlets have been closed or confiscated, 2,313 violations of journalists' rights have been recorded and nearly 300 journalists have been forced into exile.