; discrimination against ethnic minorities and indigenous persons and communities. . (8) On June 7, 2016, the Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor posted on social media: Disappointed government of Nicaragua said it will deny electoral observers requested by Nicaraguan citizens, church, and private sector … We continue to encourage the government of Nicaragua to allow electoral observers as requested by Nicaraguans. . (9) On August 1, 2016, the Department of State issued a press release expressing grave concern with the Government of Nicaragua limiting democratic space leading up to the elections in November and stated, [O]n June 8, the Nicaraguan Supreme Court stripped the opposition Independent Liberal Party (PLI) from its long recognized leader. The Supreme Court took similar action on June 17 when it invalidated the leadership of the Citizen Action Party, the only remaining opposition party with the legal standing to present a presidential candidate. Most recently, on July 29, the Supreme Electoral Council removed 28 PLI national assembly members (16 seated and 12 alternates) from their popularly-elected positions. . (10) On November 7, 2016, the Department of State issued a press release stating, The United States is deeply concerned by the flawed presidential and legislative electoral process in Nicaragua, which precluded the possibility of a free and fair election on November 6. In advance of the elections, the Nicaraguan government sidelined opposition candidates for president, limited domestic observation at the polls and access to voting credentials, and took other actions to deny democratic space in the process. The decision by the Nicaraguan government not to invite independent international electoral observers further degraded the legitimacy of the election. . (11) In November and December of 2016, the Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank postponed consideration of a policy-based loan of $65,000,000 to the Government of Nicaragua due to the