Image Credentials: Image Title: Silencing the Word: Nicaragua Implements De Facto Ban on Bibles and Printed Media Source: (sora.openai) Date: December 2025. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies | December 25, 2025
MANAGUA, Nicaragua — In a move that observers describe as the “tightening of ideological and spiritual control,” the Nicaraguan government has reportedly begun enforcing a ban on the entry of Bibles, books, newspapers, and cameras. The measure, which has been in place for over six months, marks a significant escalation in the Ortega-Murillo administration’s efforts to control information and religious expression within the country.
A Policy Without a Decree
Unlike typical government regulations, this ban exists without any formal publication in La Gaceta, Nicaragua’s official legal journal. Instead, it is enforced as a de facto policy by immigration and customs authorities at border crossings.
-
Targeted Items: International transportation companies now warn passengers that Bibles, newspapers, magazines, books of all kinds, drones, and professional cameras are strictly prohibited.
-
Border Enforcement: Reports documented by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) confirm that authorities are verbally instructing travelers and confiscating these items at land, air, and sea borders.
“Christ is the word that challenges and liberates. That is why they ban reading… any reading that allows people to see a horizon different from the one the dictatorship seeks to impose,” stated Edwin Román, a Nicaraguan priest currently in exile in Miami.
The Systematic Dismantling of Civil Society
The ban on religious and educational materials is part of a broader, years-long campaign to eliminate independent voices. Since 2018, the government has intensified its crackdown on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and religious institutions.
Key Figures of the Repression:
-
5,000+ civil society organizations have shut down since 2018.
-
1,323 religious foundations and ministries dismantled in the last 27 months alone.
-
61 media outlets closed or confiscated.
-
300+ journalists forced into exile to avoid arbitrary detention.
Ideological and Spiritual Control
Analysts and news outlets like Infovaticana suggest that the administration, led by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, is seeking to replace traditional religious influence with state-sanctioned ideology. Despite the government labeling itself as “Christian,” its actions have primarily targeted Catholic and Evangelical congregations.
International Reaction
The international community has expressed “deep concern” regarding these violations of freedom of religion and belief. Anna Lee Stangl, Director of Advocacy for CSW, urged the government to lift the ban immediately, highlighting the danger of isolating the Nicaraguan population from outside information and spiritual support.
“We urge the government of Nicaragua to cease its ongoing efforts to repress freedom of religion, belief, and expression,” Stangl said in a public statement.
The “Christian” Paradox
The Ortega administration continues to use religious rhetoric in its public addresses, yet the reality on the ground tells a story of systematic exclusion. By prohibiting the entry of Bibles and cameras, the state effectively limits the ability of the faithful to practice their religion and prevents journalists from documenting the reality of life under the current regime.