White House says Ortegas 'responsible' for Nicaragua violence
More than 300 people have been killed and 2,000 wounded in more than three months of unrest against Daniel Ortega's administration.
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In a statement, the US government said it "strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Nicaragua and human rights abuses committed by the Ortega regime" in response to political protests.
Pro-government paramilitaries have targeted those demanding Ortega and his powerful vice president, wife Rosario Murillo, resign. Doctors have been attacked for treating the wounded.
"President Ortega and Vice President Murillo are ultimately responsible for the pro-government parapolice that have brutalized their own people," the White House said.
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The US has hit top officials with sanctions, tightened visa restrictions and backed church-led efforts to secure peace.
Ortega, aged 72, is a long-time bete noire of the US government. He headed a left-wing Sandinista government during the Cold War, and returned to power in 2007.
"The United States stands with the people of Nicaragua, including members of the Sandinista party, who are calling for democratic reforms and an end to the violence," said the White House.
The unrest is posing the biggest challenge to Ortega's authority since he returned to office in 2007, not least because the business sector that had underpinned previous economic stability is now spurning him over the violence.
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