The Nicaraguan Telecommunications Institute (Telcor) this Friday prohibited cable companies from broadcasting a Catholic channel owned by the Episcopal Conference.
The information was released by Claro, which operates a communications company in Managua, which immediately complied with the order.
“We inform our subscription television users that according to instructions from Telcor, the regulatory entity, channel 51, catholic channelis being removed from the service’s programming grid,” Claro Nicaragua reported in a statement released on its social networks.
The announcement was made less than 24 hours after Monsignor Rolando Alvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, and who directs the Catholic channel, denounce police persecution against hima reason that led him to take refuge in the parish of Santo Cristo de Las Colinas, in Managua.
In fact, the suspension of the religious channel in the local grills was finalized at a time when activities were broadcast in support of the priest who began an indefinite hunger strike, as a form of protest against the police siege.
“I have to say to all these police brothers who are surrounding and surrounding the temple of Las Colinas: I have nothing against them, I love those who were chasing me all day yesterday and I recognize that you receive orders and carry them out. I love the National Police Headquarters, who are the ones who, receiving orders, also give them,” said the priest in a homily when they took Channel 51 off the air.
The measure of Telcor, which is the telecommunications regulator in Managua, is similar to those issued against other media critics of President Daniel Ortega who have been removed from the cable companies and open television,as the medium 100% News and the Confidencial programs, directed by the journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro.
The auxiliary bishop of Managua, Monsignor Silvio Baez, who is in the United States for security reasons, he condemned the action of the Ortega government and said that “even if the dictatorship takes Canal Católico off the air (…) everything will be useless.”
“The Church will continue to proclaim the Gospel of hope and justice,” said Báez.
Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, the highest authority of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, has not yet referred to the government’s action, however the Diocese of Matagalpa, led by Álvarez, issued a statement in support of the prelate.
“The clergy express their sadness and concern about the harassment and harassment that police officers have been exercising against our father and pastor in recent days… we ask the authorities involved to stop this behavior,” the note reads.
silent government
So far, the Ortega government has not spoken directly about this action, however, on previous occasions the president has accused the religious of having staged a coup attempt against him during the anti-government demonstrations that took place in 2018.
“The terrorists in suits and ties, the terrorists in cassocks, the demons in cassocks, when a non-violent solution was sought, when they had already bathed in blood, burned citizens, and in the dialogue it was proposed that the roadblocks be lifted [bloqueos en las vías]”, his counterpart was opposed, he assured.
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