Rubio urges partners to stop 'business as usual' with Nicaraguan government

​The U.S. ​urges international ‌partners to immediately ​stop "business as usual" operations with ‌Nicaragua's government, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement ‌on Wednesday, adding that ‌Washington remains committed to addressing violations of human rights by the government.

Rubio's ⁠comments ​come ⁠after Nicaragua's Congress on Tuesday passed a ⁠constitutional reform that bans opposition ​parties from participating in elections and ⁠extends the presidential term from six ⁠to ​seven years, an initiative that had previously ⁠drawn criticism from the United States and ⁠other ⁠countries in the region.