WASHINGTON, D.C.: The United States will limit visas for more than 250 officials from Nicaragua, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late last week.

He said this is because of human rights violations by the government of President Daniel Ortega.

The United Nations says Ortega's government has created a strict system that silences opposition. Experts say Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo—who is also co-president—have taken complete control of the government and blurred the line between their political party and the state.

In 2018, large protests broke out in Nicaragua. The government responded with violence, and more than 350 people were killed. This led to intense international criticism.

Rubio said the U.S. has now put visa restrictions on more than 2,000 officials from Ortega and Murillo's government. He said their actions have taken away people's fundamental freedoms and forced many to flee the country. He added, "The United States will not accept their continued attacks on Nicaragua."

Ortega's government has often denied these accusations, saying they are part of an international effort to hurt their country.

At the same time, some rights groups have criticized the U.S. too. They say the U.S. government has also hurt free speech, education, and human rights—by cancelling visas for students, threatening universities with funding cuts, deporting people, and supporting Israel's actions in Gaza.