BUENOS AIRES, Sept 25 Argentina's
telecommunications regulator on Friday rejected the sale of a
stake in Nextel Argentina to the media group Clarin
that had been sealed ten days ago for $178 million, saying
Clarin had not sought the necessary approvals.
Nextel is a subsidiary of NII Holdings Inc, a Latin
American mobile service provider, that emerged from bankruptcy
protection in June. NII Holdings had said proceeds of the deal
would be used to bolster its operations in Brazil.
"The board decided that the operation carried out on Sept.
14 of 2015, by which Nextel Communications Argentina sold 49
percent of its capital, violates article 13 of the law 27.078,
because it was done without previous authorization," the AFTIC
regulatory body said in a statement.
Argentina's government has frequently clashed with Clarin
since the group criticized it over its handling of farmers'
protests in 2008.
(Reporting by Nicolas Misculin; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing
by Andrew Hay)