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Paying thousands of dollars or writing a letter apologizing to Rosario Murillo are the two options—not always successful—that some Nicaraguans have been forced to take in an attempt to return to Nicaragua after the dictatorship barred their entry. Since 2024, an increasing number of Nicaraguans traveling abroad do so uncertain whether they will be allowed back into their homeland.
While the “entry ban” initially targeted well-known independent leaders, today, anyone can be denied re-entry to Nicaragua. A single uncomfortable social media post, or the perception by someone in the regime that a person has money to pay, can be enough.
As a result, between January 2024 and February 2025, at least 349 Nicaraguans were victims of “migratory repression,” according to a report by Monitoreo Azul y Blanco. The actual number is undoubtedly higher, as many do not report these cases for fear of further reprisals.
The actions of “migration repression” include exile, denial of passport renewals, and bans on leaving or entering Nicaragua. Of the reported cases, 290 are de facto exiles or entry bans. Sixty-four percent of cases are men and 36% women. The monitoring group also reported six minors among the victims.
The UN’s Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN) has also detailed how the chain of command operates in deciding the refusals of entry against citizens the dictatorship deems “a threat to national sovereignty and society.”
- This is how they deny the return to Nicaragua by orders of the dictatorship
- Rosario Murillo affirms that the “unforgivable” will not be able to return
- What to do if you are denied to return? An urgent guide for exiles
- Fear of Leaving and Not Returning to Nicaragua: The Anxiety of a Forced Exile
CONFIDENCIAL spoke with four Nicaraguans victimized by this practice. In two cases the “entry ban” was solved with a payment, while the other two cannot return to the country, despite one woman writing a letter to “co-president” Rosario Murillo asking forgiveness and begging to be allowed back to her homeland.
Federico Will Not Leave Again
Federico left Nicaragua in mid-2024 for the United States, to visit family who have lived for several years in a city in the southern part of the country. After spending several months at his relatives’ home, he bought a ticket to return to Managua. When he tried to use it in early 2025, he received an email from the airline, curtly informing him that he was not “eligible” to enter the country.
No further explanation was given, nor was any evidence provided to justify the denial. Despite being a full Nicaraguan citizen, the only communication he received was “that informal email”—a single sentence, with no legal argument or court ruling.
After the initial shock, his family in Nicaragua sought someone who could help resolve the issue. Through inquiries with relatives, they found a lawyer with connections in government circles, who asked for time and money to secure the permit.
“The one who decides that in Nicaragua is Chayo (Rosario Murillo). The law is useless,” Federico reflects from the safety of anonymity. He recounts that he was fortunate to reach that lawyer, thanks to “a friend of a friend.”
“Everybody knows everybody in our towns and cities,” he added.
Following the lawyer’s advice, he didn’t share all details, not even with his family, fearing a leak that could identify him and trigger new reprisals. After several months, he got the good news: there was no longer an objection to his return. The airline confirmed his ticket was valid, and he returned home.
In the end, despite relatives suggesting he sell everything in Nicaragua and move to the US, Federico decided not to leave again. Even though the payment supposedly resolved his situation permanently, he prefers not to travel anymore.
Estelita Was Left with the Merchandise
Estelita traveled to Miami to buy supplies for her small business. She visited shops she knew, purchased merchandise with demand back home, went sightseeing, and visited friends. But when it came time to return, an email brought unexpected news: she was denied reentry to Nicaragua.
She was left with the ticket and the purchases made in Miami.
She then contacted family members with government connections. After several days and a transfer of more than $2,500, she was informed that the doors were open again, and she returned to Nicaragua.
Back to her business and family, she decided to postpone any future trips abroad. Even though she’d like to return to the shops she knows, she cannot be sure she’ll be allowed back into the country. She has chosen to work and live only with what is available locally.
When asked why she was denied reentry, she can only say she doesn’t know. She never engaged in politics nor expressed views against the regime. She can only guess it might have been due to a Facebook post where she posed with a blue-and-white flag.
Francisco Didn’t Pay the Scammer
Like Estelita, Francisco is also engaged in commercial activity. The difference is that he has lived in the United States for a long time, and from there he sends or transports goods to Nicaragua—until, without prior notice, he was informed that he could not enter the country.
After the initial shock, he began exploring alternatives, until he connected with the son of a Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) deputy in the western region, who offered a solution: he would be allowed to return to the country if he made a financial contribution, intended for the local political secretary of that party. His intermediary explained that even after paying, he would have to wait several weeks before receiving authorization to return to his homeland.
Before sending money, Francisco consulted a friend who knew the deputy’s son. His friend’s advice was blunt: “Don’t give him anything. He owes money to everyone and is always looking to scam people. Even though his father is a deputy, don’t believe him. He won’t solve anything. Don’t waste your time; he doesn’t have the connections or power to get you an entry permit.”
Desperate, Francisco decided to try something else: writing a letter to the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, he never received a response, and nothing was resolved. With no political ties or prominence inside or outside Nicaragua, Francisco doesn’t understand why he was barred from returning. For now, a family member continues to manage the local business.
Juanita Had to Ask for Forgiveness
Juanita left Nicaragua for a city in Texas in mid-2023 for medical checkups. She had previously traveled abroad for work and returned without issues. On this trip, after three weeks in the United States, she went to board her flight back —only to be told by the airline, without explanation, that she could not board.
Frustrated but determined, she bought another ticket with a different airline, thinking it was a mistake. But the same happened: she was barred again. This second airline sent her a clearer email: Nicaraguan authorities would not allow her entry.
Seeking solutions, an acquaintance suggested she write a personal letter to Rosario Murillo, asking forgiveness for having participated in the 2018 protests. She did. With pain and shame, but she did. Yet nothing changed. She never received a response. Inevitably, she lost her job in Nicaragua and now lives separated from her family.
Why Ask Forgiveness?
Jhoswel Martínez is the president of the Intercultural Association for Human Rights (Asidehu), an organization based in Costa Rica that advocates for the rights of migrants, not only Nicaraguans. From this position, he says he is aware of many cases involving asylum seekers in European countries who have deportation orders to Nicaragua and were advised by people inside the country to send a letter apologizing to Mrs. Murillo.
“Generally, they are advised to promise that they will not commit criminal or terrorist acts again, in an attempt to guarantee a safe return and avoid problems when going back home,” Martínez explained.
Beyond being humiliating, the defender noted that forcing someone to submit such a letter, as well as preventing a safe return to the country, violates a range of rights enshrined in Nicaragua’s Constitution—not the current, illegitimate one, but the 2008 version. He emphasizes that in a Nicaragua with the rule of law, where laws could actually be applied, “we would be talking about administrative proceedings that could lead to the dismissal of those responsible and a criminal charge for preventing entry into the country and depriving citizens of their freedoms, because they are effectively imposing civil death on these individuals.”
