Nicaragua restricting entry of Salvadorans

There are reports in the Nicaraguan press that Salvadoran who wish to enter the neighboring country will have to apply for permission in advance.   Reportedly this is due to the high levels of gang violence in El Salvador.  Nicaragua has much lower levels of gang violence than its neighbors in the Northern Triangle.

This restriction would seem to contradict the terms of the regional border control agreement among the CA-4 countries of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Nicaragua.   The citizens of those countries are entitled under that agreement to pass freely across land border checkpoints within the four country zone.    

In the past year, Nicaragua has also been blocking the entrance of protestant Christian pastors from other CA-4 countries.  This is reputedly for purposes of preventing inappropriate evangelization by Christian groups.

Meanwhile, El Salvador's first left wing president, Mauricio Funes, remains in Nicaragua under a grant of political asylum from that country, while he is investigated for illicit enrichment back home.

Comments