The government of Venezuela has banned the activities of the Unification Church after a long-festering controversy.
Officials say that the church's followers held invalid visas that made their presence illegal.
Similar steps have been taken recently by Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. The deportations in Central America followed calls by Protestant and Catholic churches troubled by the growing presence and influence of the Unification Church. In Venezuela, church officials have denied allegations that illegal immigrants have been imported and charges that it encourages youths to leave home. The decision came after months of controversy and allegations in local newspapers that church members practice polygamy and abduct children. Vice Justice Minister Kurt Nagel says the main reason for the ban is because missionaries and members are foreigners on tourist visas who really have no tourist intentions.