The U.S. State Department is warning Americans thinking of booking trips to Nicaragua to reconsider their travel plans because the country is sinking deeper into authoritarianism, making it more perilous for tourists.
Nicaragua has been on a Level 3 travel advisory since December, which means people are urged to avoid traveling there because of an arbitrary enforcement of laws, the risk of wrongful detention and the limited health care. (Level 4 — “do not travel” — is the highest advisory level.)
U.S. officials, alarmed by a flurry of positive press about Nicaragua in travel publications took the unusual step Friday of holding a briefing to reiterate the warning. The officials spoke on the condition that their names not be published so U.S. officials can continue working in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua, the officials stressed, has much going for it, including low prices, pristine beaches, plus excellent surfing conditions and bird watching. It started emerging more than a decade ago as a low-cost alternative to other nearby countries, like Costa Rica, which had become crowded with tourists.
“It does have the potential to be a great holiday destination, but crosscutting that are very severe human rights violations and a very strict authoritarian system of governance,” one of the U.S. officials said. “And we see these having knock-on effects for U.S. citizens and really all sorts of travelers.”
Nicaragua has been in the throes of political upheaval since 2018, when people around the country took to the streets to protest the increasingly dictatorial rule of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, who was vice president then but is now co-president.
Hundreds of people were killed and more imprisoned in a law enforcement sweep that followed.
In more recent years, the government consolidated its grip on power and cracked down on nonprofit organizations and church groups, especially those with ties to the United States.
American missionaries who traveled to Nicaragua have been forced to leave. Americans who live in Nicaragua were expelled and saw their properties confiscated, the officials said.
Even bird-watchers could run afoul of the government if they fail to secure licenses for camera gear, the officials said.
Some Americans, particularly those who work for U.S. news organizations, don’t even make it on the plane: The Nicaraguan government routinely notifies airlines of passengers who are not welcome.
“They are barred from entry,” the U.S. official said.
Last year, a New York Times reporter and his family going to Nicaragua on vacation were prevented from boarding a flight from the United States after the Nicaraguan government apparently sent a notice to the airline denying them entry.
One surfer was turned back, apparently because he had a journalism degree listed on LinkedIn, the U.S. official said.
People who work at nonprofit organizations, religious groups, universities and news organizations are at particular risk, the U.S. travel advisory warns.
“Many do not understand that the status quo for Nicaragua has really changed,” said Jon Britton Hancock, an American missionary from Texas who traveled to Nicaragua for years — until he, like many other church and nonprofit organization executives, suddenly found himself accused of money laundering, which human rights activists considered trumped up charges.
“Many missionary groups are depending on their historical experience with the government in Nicaragua and do not understand how actually volatile the government has become,” Mr. Hancock said.
Mr. Hancock, who insisted he did nothing wrong, was out of the country when the charges were brought, but nearly a dozen Nicaraguan pastors who worked with him were jailed for nearly a year because of their association with his church.
He tells anyone looking to go to Nicaragua on vacation to go someplace else.
Ms. Murillo, who serves as spokeswoman for the government, did not respond to a request for comment.
Despite the political turmoil and being one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere, Nicaragua has recently been the subject of positive travel coverage, including being on The New York Times “52 Places to Go” list this year.
Vogue recently called it an “it” destination, and the Central American nation made Travel + Leisure magazine’s 50 Best Places to Travel this year.
After a pause of several years, American Airlines resumed flights to Nicaragua and other airlines have increased their offerings.
“Our annual ‘52 Places to Go’ list is curated by expert travel editors for readers seeking new travel experiences and cultures,” The Times said in a statement. “When developing the list, editors take into account factors that make the destination stand out in that particular year, including a major cultural event, newfound popularity, upgraded infrastructure and attractions as well as the safety of a location. We exclude destinations that are designated a Level 4.’’
Tourism remains an important industry in Nicaragua. The government’s figures show that about 1 million people travel to Nicaragua each year, but the number dropped by about 10 percent last year.
Frances Robles is a Times reporter covering Latin America and the Caribbean. She has reported on the region for more than 25 years.
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