The Trump administration is sanctioning three Nicaraguan officials accused of human rights abuses, election fraud and corruption.

The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday announced the sanctions, which block the officials from doing business with U.S. entities.

The officials are Ramon Antonio Avellan Medal, deputy director of the Nicaraguan National Police; Lumberto Ignacio Campbell Hooker, acting president of the Nicaraguan Supreme Electoral Council; and Roberto Jose Lopez Gomez, director of the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute.

Hundreds of Nicaraguans have been killed, jailed or forced into exile since protests against President Daniel Ortega erupted in April 2018.

Ortega officials have called opposition protesters “terrorists” and consider the demonstrations tantamount to an attempted coup.

…