CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – A radio executive in Venezuela says two stations that included critical coverage of the government have been shut down after their broadcast licenses were not renewed.
Enza Carbone is president of the country’s Radio Chamber. Carbone said Friday night in a statement that the National Telecommunications Commission did not renew the stations’ licenses and ordered them to cease transmitting.
The closures came less than 48 hours after the commission ordered cable providers to remove the signal of Colombian TV stations Caracol and RCN.
President Nicolas Maduro had sharply criticized foreign news coverage of the country and singled out Colombian media among other outlets.
Venezuela has been wracked by months of political crisis. Maduro’s government has ordered two days of military exercises beginning Saturday in response to sanctions imposed by Washington.