Tourists entering Nicaragua are no longer allowed to carry Bibles into the country.
The U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported this month that notices at Tica Bus terminals in Costa Rica, which offer routes to Nicaragua’s capital city of Managua, informing passengers that magazines, newspapers, cameras, and books — including the Bible — are prohibited.
Knives, perishable foods, and drones are also banned.
A representative from the company’s Honduras location said the restrictions have been in place for about half a year.
Anna Lee Stangl, director of advocacy and Americas team leader for CSW, is urging Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his regime to lift the ban “immediately.”
“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,” she said. “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 added, “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.”
News about the ban on Scripture comes as Nicaragua continues its crackdown on religious liberty. In the spring, CBN News reported that the country had withdrawn itself from the U.N. Human Rights Council after facing condemnation for its “systematic crackdown on human rights, democratic norms, and religious groups,” according to International Christian Concern.
The Christian church has been one of the few institutions in Nicaragua to stand against Maduro, with mass protests against his government in 2018.
More than 5,000 independent civil organizations — including more than 1,300 religious groups — have had their legal status revoked since April of 2018.
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