The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has intensified its offensive against religious freedom in Nicaragua by preventing the entry of Bibles and other religious texts into the country, a measure that confirms the hardening of the ideological and spiritual control imposed by the State.
The complaint has come to light through warnings issued by international transportation companies and testimonies from travelers, and has been reported by the newspaper La Prensa. According to this information, Nicaraguan migration authorities are confiscating books—including Bibles— at entry points to the country.
Explicit warnings to travelers
The company Central Line S.A., which operates routes between San José and Managua, published on its social networks a clear recommendation to its passengers: do not carry books in luggage to “avoid setbacks” at Migration. Consulted by La Prensa, the company confirmed that the warning is real, although it avoided giving additional explanations.
This confirmation is joined by multiple testimonies spread on social networks by people who recount thorough luggage inspections, with special attention to written material of a religious nature.
Ideological control and spiritual repression
Since the repression of the 2018 protests—which left more than 300 dead—, the regime has strengthened its strategy of absolute control, extending it to the cultural and religious spheres. The Bible, as the foundational text of Christian faith and source of moral conscience, becomes a priority target of a power that fears any instance it cannot control.
The prohibition of its entry into the country reveals a clear will to deactivate all forms of spiritual resistance, even that which is lived in silence, through prayer and the reading of the Word of God.