MANAGUA (Reuters) - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega warned his political adversaries on Saturday that he would not allow them to depose him as opposition groups planned street protests against his government.
"We love peace, but we are also ready to use the steel ofwar if they try to bring down this" government, Ortega said ina speech.
Ortega, a leftist who fought U.S.-backed Contra rebelsduring his first stint as head of state in the 1980s, returnedto power last year after beating conservative rivals in anelection.
Thousands of people took to the streets on June 27 toprotest Ortega's handling of the economy and the exclusion oftwo small parties from municipal elections last year, thoughthe country's largest opposition party did not participateactively in the march.
Protesters that day chanted slogans that called Ortega adictator. Nicaragua is one of Latin America's poorestcountries.
Opposition leaders are planning another protest on Friday.
Ortega, an ally of leftist Venezuelan President HugoChavez, repeated accusations on Saturday that the U.S.government is funding the opposition groups.
"Those that are conspiring, who are openly financed by theYankees, better respect the institutional norms in thiscountry. They better not provoke the people," he said.
(Reporting by Ivan Castro; writing by Jason Lange)