The Sandinista government Wednesday ordered a privately owned radio station off the air for eight days and barred two others from broadcasting news programs because of their reports on a workers' hunger strike.
An official of the Interior Ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the department on Tuesday ordered Radio Corporacion to suspend service immediately. The station can appeal.He said Radio Catolica, which is operated by the Roman Catholic Church, and Radio Mundial were prohibited from broadcasting their regular news programs for eight days.
Barricada, the newspaper of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front, said the radio stations were accused of "spreading false information" about a workers' hunger strike and with violating laws preserving public order.
Radio Catolica was shut down in January 1986 after it failed to broadcast President Daniel Ortega's end-of-the-year message. It was allowed to resume operations last fall under provisions of a regional peace plan signed in August by Ortega and the presidents of four other Central American countries.