The Russian ambassador to Uruguay, Andrei Budaev, said he was “very surprised” and “regretted” the decision of the Uruguayan authorities to suspend the broadcast of the international news network financed by the Russian state Russia Today (RT)in the context of the conflict between Ukraine.
“The embassy has already regretted the decision of the local authorities to suspend the broadcast of the RT channel,” said Budaev, who also added: “I was really very surprised by this measure that was taken in a country like Uruguay, which has democratic traditions, with respect for pluralism of opinions and freedom of expression.”
The diplomat urged Uruguay to analyze the situation and expressed: “Who is most affected? Russia? Without a doubt (because) we are sad to lose the Uruguayan auditorium. But this measure is projected to the interests of the same Uruguayans who request access to an alternative source of information to be able to draw their own conclusions about what happened”.
“We do not impose anything on anyone,” stressed the Russian ambassador in Uruguay and added: “we respect Uruguayan laws and the decisions of its authorities, (for this reason) we have no choice but to comply with them.”
“I wonder what the signal is for the UNESCO conference on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which is planned in the city of Punta del Este in early May,” said Budáev.in an audio message regarding the situation in Ukraine, which was released this Sunday by the Russian embassy in Uruguay.
The broadcast of RT was suspended from Vera Tv by decision of the president of Antel, Gabriel Gurméndez. The measure was questioned by Cabildo Abierto and the Broad Front. In addition, in an interview with President Lacalle Pou granted to the channel 12 newscast, Telemundothe president expressed disagreement with Gurméndez’s decision.
