Nicaragua Now Bans Bibles at the Border!
Nicaragua has banned tourists and international visitors from bringing Bibles into the country, according to multiple reports from December 2025. Notices posted at bus terminals in neighboring countries such as Costa Rica and Honduras, particularly by transport companies like Tica Bus and Central Line S.A., warn passengers that Bibles, along with other printed materials like newspapers and magazines, are prohibited from entry into Nicaragua. These restrictions also extend to items such as drones, cameras, and sharp objects.
The ban appears to be enforced by Nicaraguan authorities, with transport companies stating they are acting on directives from the government. Representatives from Tica Bus confirmed that the policy has been in place for over six months. The measure is widely seen as part of a broader crackdown on religious freedom and free expression under President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo’s government.
Since 2018, Nicaragua has shut down more than 5,000 independent civil society organizations, including over 1,300 religious groups, and has increasingly targeted religious leaders through arrests, surveillance, and expulsions. The prohibition on Bibles is viewed by human rights and religious advocacy groups, such as Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), as a significant escalation in efforts to suppress religious and intellectual autonomy.
CSW’s Anna Lee Stangl has called on the Nicaraguan government to lift the ban immediately, describing it as a deeply concerning act within the country’s ongoing repression of freedom of religion and expression. Nicaraguan clergy in exile have also condemned the ban, with some labeling the regime a “diabolical dictatorship” seeking to eliminate spiritual influence as a threat to its control