Havana, March 29 (RHC) -- Argentina's government is pulling out from its involvement in the Spanish-language TV network that was started by the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, saying the broadcaster blocks alternative viewpoints.

Telesur, a leftist alternative to mainstream media coverage of Latin America, was launched in 2005 with funding from six regional governments aligned with Venezuela, including Cuba and Bolivia. On Sunday, President Mauricio Macri's administration announced that Argentina would unload its nearly 20% stake in the venture.

Argentina is leaving because "it was shut out of financial and editorial decisions", Communications Minister Herman Lombardi said.

Audiences in Latin America have embraced the network as an alternative to CNN en Español and as one of the few outlets offering in-depth coverage of the region's lesser-told stories and places.

In 2014, Telesur unveiled an English-language website and announced it would hire about 100 native English-speaking journalists and producers for the launch.