Canal NTN24 uses YouTube after being blocked

Amid student protests against the government of Nicolas Maduro, the channel disappeared from cable signals.

International TV channel NTN24 disappeared from DirecTV and MovistarTV in Venezuela during the day today, for unknown reasons. Channel's website nor can be accessed while in the country student protests against the government of Nicolas Maduro developed.

Despite the apparent blocking, the channel turned to YouTube to continue broadcasting, setting up a live feed on the Internet. "I never thought that years later, working outside my country, also behoove me narrate the fall of a signal," said Venezuelan journalist Idania Chirinos, who recalled that he had to cover when RCTV was forced to close by not granting it renewed . "Can not knock down a reality with the signal of a channel," Chirinos said.

Shortly before the signal is dropped, the president of the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel), William Castle, reported that international channels were "promoting violence".

"We call it international media to respect the Venezuelan people. Promote violence and ignorance of authorities is a crime," he said on Twitter.

According to recent reports, the protests in the streets of Caracas have left at least 2 dead and several wounded. One of those killed was a member of a pro-government group, while the other was a student who was shot by a group of government supporters. The incidents have been confused, and between the riots have burned several police units and heard gunshots.

On Twitter, the hashtag # 12VnzlaEnlaCalleNicolásPaElCoñoTeVas stood second in global trending topics, and several Venezuelans have turned to social media to tell what is happening and document the protests.