Nicaragua government, protesters call to end of violence

Demonstrations place a burned bus as a barricade during a protest against Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega's government in Tipitapa, Nicaragua June 14, 2018. REUTERS/Oswaldo Rivas

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (Reuters) - Nicaragua's government and civic groups on Friday called for an end to violence after two months of deadly political unrest, but President Daniel Ortega did not address a call by church mediators to allow for early elections.

Political protests have left 170 people dead, hundreds more injured and ground the economy of the impoverished Central American nation to a halt.

(Reporting by Alonso Soto; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Tom Hogue)