AT&T closes its payTV service in Venezuela amid U.S. sanctions

(Reuters) – AT&T Inc said on Tuesday it has closed its DirecTV Latin America operations in Venezuela amid sanctions by the United States on the country.

The sanctions prohibited it from broadcasting channels that were essential to providing its pay TV services in Venezuela, the wireless carrier said.

The United States has been slapping sanctions on Venezuela in a pressure campaign aimed at ousting President Nicolas Maduro.

AT&T said the decision to close operations was made by its U.S. team without any participation from the pay TV’s Venezuela team.

(Reporting by Neha Malara in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)