Satellite TV back for Venezuelans left in dark by sanctions

An investment firm announced Friday it's resuming satellite TV transmissions for Venezuelans whose service was cut abruptly due to US sanctions aimed at driving President Nicolás Maduro from power. DirecTV abruptly ditched its popular satellite TV service on May 19, citing U.S. sanctions that prohibited DirecTV from broadcasting channels that were required by Maduro's administration.

An investment firm announced Friday it's resuming satellite TV transmissions for Venezuelans whose service was cut abruptly due to US sanctions aimed at driving President Nicolás Maduro from power. The firm, Scale Capital, said it reached a deal with the AT&T subsidiary DirecTV Latin America to take over the subscription service, providing services to 2 million subscribers across Venezuela — more than 40 per cent of the country's subscription TV market.

“We are very excited about this launch and we want to thank all parties for their support,” Scale Capital's director Jacopo Bracco, said in a statement. The firm's website lists its address as Santiago, Chile. Dallas-based AT&T did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DirecTV abruptly ditched its popular satellite TV service on May 19, citing U.S. sanctions that prohibited DirecTV from broadcasting channels that were required by Maduro's administration. It is unclear whether the two channels — Globovision and PDVSA — will be aired.

The administration of President Donald Trump is running what it calls a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at ending the socialist leader's rule, saying he has led the once wealthy oil nation into ruin. The abrupt end to DirecTV service prompted Venezuelan officials to accuse the company of denying its citizens rights to information.

A month after the TV service stopped, Venezuelan authorities jailed three Venezuelan DirecTV executives. One of them, Carlos Villamizar, said before surrendering to authorities that he was innocent because he had no prior knowledge of the decision made by executives in the United States. With the new deal, one of the three men had been released from jail, said a source familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk. The source said the other two should also soon go free.

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