By BLAKE SCHMIDT

President Daniel Ortega accused the United States on Wednesday of trying to destabilize his government by backing politicians opposed to his left-leaning Sandinista party. Speaking from Caracas, Venezuela, Mr. Ortega said that still, he welcomed the Bush administration’s decision to freeze $64 million in poverty reduction grants based on American criticism of municipal elections on Nov. 9, as it could leave his government less beholden to demands from the United States. “We’re a bit more free,” Mr. Ortega said. Critics have accused him of rigging the vote to spread his power.