(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President of the Supreme Court Francisco Plata Lopez, RSF expressed its concern over the de facto suspension of transmissions by Radio Ya and Stereo Ya, two private Managua statios directed by Carlos Guadamuz. Robert Ménard, RSFâs secretary general, asked Plata Lopez to ensure that “control of Radio Ya be […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President of the Supreme Court Francisco Plata Lopez, RSF expressed its concern over the de facto suspension of transmissions by Radio Ya and Stereo Ya, two private Managua statios directed by Carlos Guadamuz. Robert Ménard, RSFâs secretary general, asked Plata Lopez to ensure that “control of Radio Ya be returned to Guadamuz.” On 22 December 1999, following a dispute with staff, a judge ruled to remove the station from Guadamuzâs control and to seize its equipment, thus putting an end to its broadcasts. RSF also asked the president of the Supreme Court “to open an investigation into the 28 December destruction of Stereo Yaâs transmitter. Stereo Ya is also directed by Guadamuz.” In a second letter to the director of Telcor, the public telecommunications company which manages the assignment of frequencies, RSF asked that the companyâs decision to revoke the licences of Radio Ya and Stereo Ya “be reexamined in the light of facts presented by Guadamuz.”
According to information obtained by RSF, on 22 December, all of Radio Yaâs equipment was seized after a police search of the stationâs offices, and placed under the reponsibility of four of the stationâs employees. Those same employees are the ones who filed the complaint against the director, claiming arrears payments of their salaries and licencing indemnities. Guadamuz contends that in reality, he is being punished for the position he maintains against the accords passed between the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN, Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional), the opposition party of which he is a member, and the current government. The most recent incident occurred on 8 May 2000, when private vigilantes stopped Judge Benavente from inspecting Radio Yaâs offices and transmitter. The inspection was requested by Guadamuz, in order to examine the state of the installation and the unapproved usage occurring by the people who were in charge of it.
On 28 December 1999, Stereo Yaâs transmitter was destroyed by a commando unit directed by Sandinista militant Victor Cienfuegos. Cienfuegos was never brought to justice. On 7 January 2000, Telcor announced they were revoking the licences of Radio Ya and Stereo Ya. According to Telcor, the former did not renew its licence application within the period of time stipulated, and the latter did not fulfill the necessary conditions to obtain a frequency. These arguments were refuted by Guadamuz, who cited as evidence the fact that on 10 October 1999 the public company accepted the annual fees owed by the two stations.
