Representative Foley says Nicaragua’s government appears to have backed away from its Bible import ban last year in response to international outcry, but restrictions on Christian activities continue to worsen.  

“Taking down signs at borders just means hiding the crackdown from the international community,” says Representative Foley. She says religious restrictions were originally targeted at the Catholic church beginning in 2018, when Catholic churches opened their doors to provide medical aid and shelter to anti-government protestors. Those restrictions were expanded in 2022 to include all religious organizations. “Hundreds of churches and ministries were closed at that time” says Representative Foley. “Evangelism and outreach activities were strictly prohibited. Hundreds of churches were forcibly closed, and opening new churches has become nearly impossible.” 

She notes that churches in Nicaragua have been required to pay taxes on their tithes and offerings since August 2024, when the country’s National Assembly removed tax exemptions for religious groups.  

“The replacement of the Bible import ban with a tax on bringing Bibles into the country is one more tax on religion in Nicaragua,” says Representative Foley. 

Nicaragua’s ruling party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front, espouses Marxist (atheistic communist) ideology. Data from the country indicates that Catholics compose 28 to 43% of the population, while Protestants account for 38 to 41%, and 8 to 16% show no religious affiliation.   

Representative Foley says pastors tell Voice of the Martyrs that government officials routinely attend Christian worship services to monitor and intimidate attendees, and efforts are underway to collect personal data on pastors and church members. 

“An estimated 60 to 80 percent of Nicaragua’s Protestant churches have submitted to the authority of the government-controlled Federation of Nicaraguan Evangelical Churches,” says Representative Foley. “That agency monitors and censors church teaching, places tight controls on the finances of churches, and controls the flow of Christian materials—especially Bibles.”  

According to Representative Foley, pastors and other Christian leaders who have chosen to remain independent of the government church federation have faced increasingly harsh treatment, including surveillance, violent physical confrontations, arrest, imprisonment and exile. 

“In July 2025, Nicaraguan Pastor Rudy Palacios and six ministry partners were arrested,” says Representative Foley. “Without any legal proceedings, the seven Christians were held incommunicado for six months. Three were then released with heavy restrictions and regular police check-ins. Pastor Palacios and two others were placed under house arrest. One of the Christians reportedly died in custody, and his family was not told the cause of death.” 

Representative Foley says Voice of the Martyrs Korea is scheduled to release its 2027 Global Prayer Guide in December, listing Nicaragua, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela among the more than 70 countries worldwide where Christians face legal restrictions and active persecution. “We hope our 2026 Global Prayer Guide reminds Christians around the world that Marxism/Atheism remains one of the main drivers of Christian persecution not only in Asia but in Central and South America as well,” she says. Individuals interested in obtaining a copy of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea 2026 Global Prayer Guide can contact the ministry at 02-2065-0703 or [email protected] for more information.