US to intensify pressure on Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega following Sunday election

Daniel Ortega. Credit: AFP Photo

The Biden administration plans to increase diplomatic pressure and use other tools against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega following Sunday's election that Washington sees as a sham, a senior US official said on Friday.

President Joe Biden is likely to issue a statement on Nicaragua on Sunday after the election, the official told reporters.

He also intends to sign congressional legislation that seeks to ratchet up pressure on Ortega, who has cracked down on opponents as he seeks a fourth consecutive term.