Antennas of satellite tv company Directv are seen in the low-income neighbourhood Catia after AT&T Inc said on Tuesday it has closed its DirecTV Latin America operations in Venezuela, in Caracas, Venezuela May 19, 2020. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero
(Reuters) – AT&T Inc (T.N) said on Tuesday it was shutting its DirecTV subscription access to Venezuela due to U.S. sanctions, cutting off a key source of entertainment for millions of people stuck in their homes under a strict coronavirus quarantine.
DirecTV was the country’s most popular television service, providing a range of foreign channels as alternatives to the country’s beleaguered local television industry that has been battered by a hyperinflationary economic crisis.
U.S. sanctions meant to force President Nicolas Maduro from office prohibit companies from contracting with state agencies, but local Venezuelan laws require subscription services to carry channels run by the government.
“Because it is impossible for AT&T’s…
Source Reuters Tech News
Source link
