The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, through the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Post Office (Telcor), resumed operations of the channel 51with which the catholic channel of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua. The channel would have passed into the hands of children of the dictatorial couple.
The frequency is under the name of Nicarao TV, an unknown media outlet created, apparently, suddenly after the dispossession of the channel from the Catholic Church. According to the digital media Despacho 505, the Celeste SA consortium, from which Viva Nicaragua – Canal 13 operates, managed by Camila, Maurice and Luciana Ortega Murillo, would be in charge of the new television channel.
Like all official media outlets, Nicarao TV broadcasts political propaganda in favor of Daniel Ortega. The family in power controls almost all television frequencies in the country with channels 2, 4, 6, 8, 13, 22 and now Channel 51.
Related news: Ortega Regime Orders Claro to Eliminate Canal Católico
On May 20, Telcor ordered Claro Nicaragua to remove Canal Católico from its cable television grid. This repressive action occurred after reports of persecution and harassment against religious leaders, which have increased in recent weeks.
In a brief statement, the telecommunications company Claro reported that the decision to remove Channel 51 from its cable company’s programming was based on guidance from the regulatory body.
“We inform our subscription television users that according to instructions from Telcor, the regulatory entity, channel 51, Canal Católico, is being removed from the service’s programming grid,” Claro Nicaragua explained.
The catholic channel had seven years of transmission on the cable system through the frequency of the channel 51 and it was, together with the Catholic Radio, the official television medium of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN).
Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, is in charge of the Communications area of the CEN and was in charge of the Catholic Channel.
This religious media did not have publicity, it was maintained thanks to the support of the Catholic congregation, however it stopped working on the orders of Daniel Ortega without any justification.