Nicaraguan Government lifts restriction on travel for photographers and cinematographers.

The Government of Nicaragua annulled on this Friday (01.27.2023) the restriction on the entry into the national territory of photographic or cinematographic cameras for television, digital or camcorders under the traveling regime. Vice President Rosario Murillo announced the decision in a speech through government media and argued that “many people come here to make documentaries” and hence the rationale behind the removal of the restriction.

The government decision came two days after they declared that foreigners needed to get an endorsement from the National Cinematheque before entering Nicaragua. Tourists were allowed to carry only one photographic apparatus and a long-sighted glass and even binoculars needed a “certificate of non-regulation” for customs clearance.

The decision had been met with harsh criticism from various organisations such as Journalistic Platform for the Connected Americas, which compared Nicaragua with North Korea, and even from followers of President Daniel Ortega who pointed out that the restriction was a missed opportunity to document the natural wonders of the country.

Vice President Murillo expressed that the purpose of the decision was to “encourage people to visit us, bird watch and learn about our patrimonial beauties” and that the decision of the Sandinista government was ultimately aimed at preserving the interest of visitors. She also expressed that many more people were interested in visiting the country and experiencing the various wonders of it.