Buenos Aires, November 11 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Journalists and technicians from the Mapuche TV channel Wall Kintun occupied the headquarters of the Federal Audiovisual Authority in Bariloche on Monday morning to protest budget cuts and did not leave until Tuesday evening.

Workers initially said they would remain in the building until they could meet the agency's director, Martin Sabbatella. But after hours of negotiations with the head of institutional relations, Sebastian Rolandi, they decided to leave.

Wall Kintun was created in December 2012 as part of the Law of Audiovisual Communication promoted by Cristina Fernandez' administration. It is Argentina’s first Indigenous television state. 

Oscar Moreno, one of Wall Kintun's employees, said that according to Article 152 of the law, a portion of federal funds must be allocated to Indigenous media. “It seems that they do not know their own laws,” he told local media.

Wall Kintun started to broadcast its programs in April and stopped last week because of a lack of funding. The previous director of the broadcasting authority, Martin Costa, earlier justified cutting funds for the station by blaming the Indigenous workers for allegedly mismanaging the station. “Media outlets need their own resources, via advertising,” he added.