Stereo Romance Shutdown and Theft Reveals Regime's "Tireless" Policy to Silence Journalism
Radio Stereo Romance has been added to the list of closed and confiscated media in Nicaragua. The shutdown of this veteran radio station in the department of Carazo is not an isolated incident: it demonstrates the "tireless" policy of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo's regime to eliminate independent voices and local radio stations, denounced the Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Democracy (FLED).
TL;DR
- Radio Stereo Romance in Carazo, Nicaragua, has been shut down and its equipment confiscated.
- The shutdown is attributed to the regime's policy of eliminating independent voices and local radio stations.
- FLED reports that closures are increasingly silent, executed via phone calls without formal administrative processes.
- The confiscation of physical equipment is seen as a new, more aggressive step in repression.
- Telcor, the telecommunications institute, is accused of acting as a repressive arm rather than a regulatory body.
- The closure impacts the social fabric, removing a long-standing source of music, community messages, and citizen participation.
- Since 2018, at least 61 media outlets have closed, and over 300 journalists have gone into exile.
- Nicaragua ranks 168th in the World Press Freedom Index, described as a 'ruined media landscape'.