AT&T is under pressure to defy Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s censors.

MIAMI — Last April, as a military uprising roiled Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro’s socialist government ordered pay TV providers to immediately cease transmission of CNN and the BBC.

DirecTV, which is wholly owned by AT&T, quickly yanked the two networks off the air. Now, pressure is building against the Dallas-based company to stand up to Venezuela’s government censors.

In December, officials from the State Department met in Washington

with executives from AT&T to urge them to help pull the plug on Maduro’s propaganda machine, according to five people familiar with the discussion.

Under a plan being promoted with the Trump administration, DirecTV, Venezuela’s largest pay TV operator, would restore to its lineup a half dozen international news channels that local regulators have banned in recent years, according to the five individuals.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was briefed and expressed initial support for the plans to enroll DirecTV to help undermine Maduro, according to two individuals with knowledge of the discussions.

Planning is in the early stages, the two individuals said, and it’s just one of several options under consideration to pressure Maduro, who remains firmly in power even in the face of U.S. sanctions aimed at propping up Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader recognized as Venezuela’s rightful leader by more than 50 nations.

The two individuals said no decision has yet been made on how much to lean on AT&T.

DirecTV Latin America declined to comment.