Nicaraguan police announced that they are "investigating several dioceses of the Catholic Church in a money laundering case," a day after local media reported the freezing of bank accounts of dioceses in the Central American country. In a statement, they mentioned that "since May 19, they have found hundreds of thousands of dollars in church facilities in various parts of the country." The police added that "the investigations confirmed the illegal cancellation of resources from bank accounts that the law ordered to be frozen," revealing that "the bank accounts are linked to religious figures convicted of treason and other crimes." They continued, "The investigation also confirmed other illicit activities, which are still under investigation as part of a money laundering network uncovered in dioceses across various departments."
Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes stated in an article published on the news site (Despacho 505), "People have their bank accounts here, and this is how they carry out their work." He added, "We are analyzing the situation," indicating that "the bishops will meet and provide further information later." The government of President Daniel Ortega has intensified its attacks on the Catholic Church following anti-government protests in 2018, during which approximately 360 people were killed in what human rights groups described as police repression. The government accused bishops, who mediated talks between the government and protesters, of attempting to orchestrate a coup. Since the anti-government protests, Ortega has imprisoned and expelled priests and nuns, banned visits to holy sites and religious processions, and closed nursing homes and soup kitchens run by nuns.
