Quito, October 12 (RHC)-- Satellite and cable companies, Directvla and TVCable in Ecuador, both of which require a subscription, have pulled the plug on the teleSUR news channel. The move comes just as the government under right-wing president, Lenin Moreno, declared a curfew and militarized the entire city of Quito, the nation's capital, starting at 3:00 p.m. local time.
Previously, Moreno banned the television station from its state media outlet, CNT. This is the first time it has been rendered off air for cable users. Cable viewers are receiving a message on their screen: "Program not available due to programming restrictions" when they try to watch teleSUR.
TeleSUR President Patricia Villegas Marin tweeted of the censorship: "With no justification, our signal has been removed from satellite channel 722 and cable 626 in Ecuador." The president of teleSUR denounced the move and called on users to demand that their TV service providers put teleSUR back on the air.