Nicaragua freezes Catholic Church bank accounts after Pope's criticism of Ortega

The regime of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua on Saturday announced it will be investigating several dioceses of the Catholic Church after it accused them of money laundering and froze the bank accounts of the parishes in the country. 

The Nicaraguan police said that they had found “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in Church facilities throughout the Central American country since May 19, prompting the investigation. 

Investigations "confirmed the unlawful removal of resources from bank accounts that had been ordered by law to be frozen," the police said in a statement, adding that the funds had entered the country irregularly.  

The police said that the bank accounts were linked to religious figures who have been convicted of other crimes. Additionally, authorities said they confirmed "other illicit activities, which are still being investigated as part of a money laundering network that has been discovered in the dioceses in different departments."

The relationship between Ortega’s regime and the Catholic church has deteriorated since 2018, after the Nicaraguan government violently cracked down on anti-government protests, leaving more than 355 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.

During that time, the church offered shelter to many fleeing the crackdown and then sought to work as an intermediary between the regime and the opposition. According to Ortega, however, the church was trying to implement a coup. 

Since then, Ortega has systematically expelled several nuns and missionaries from the country and has closed down countless Catholic radio and television stations, as well an estimated 3,000 other charities and other civil groups who he accuses of working with foreign interests to try to remove him from power. 

In March, the Nicaraguan government cut off its ties with the Vatican after Pope Francis described the Nicaraguan government as a “crude dictatorship” led by an “unbalanced” president.