As of February 2026, Nicaragua has no specific AI legislation, regulatory framework, or formal education policy addressing artificial intelligence. A comprehensive analysis of Central America’s regulatory landscape identifies Nicaragua among countries that have not presented any regulatory material on AI, placing it significantly behind regional peers Costa Rica and Panama.
Nicaraguan lawmakers demonstrated initial interest in AI governance by forming a task force in June 2023 to develop AI regulation proposals focused on digital rights and user protection, but no substantive policy has materialized. Existing legal instruments relevant to AI include the Special Law on Cybercrimes and Law on the Protection of Personal Data, but these predate AI deployment and lack AI-specific standards.
Published by: Legal analysis from Consortium Legal consulting firm; parliamentary records from ParlAmericas.
Key finding: Nicaragua is the only major Central American country without AI legislation or education policy as of early 2026; lack of movement despite 2023 parliamentary commitment.
Context: Nicaragua’s policy gap mirrors broader patterns in low-income countries where government capacity constraints, competing budget priorities, and lack of domestic AI industry limit policy development. This absence creates risk of unregulated AI deployment in critical sectors and leaves education institutions without guidance for integrating AI literacy.