Ortega Bans Telethon that Helps Children with Disabilities
and banishes Telethon Foundation President
One day after the fundraising event was prohibited, Jose Evenor Taboada was summoned to the Ministry of the Interior and subsequently exiled from Nicaragua.
HAVANA TIMES – The president of the board of directors of the Telethon Foundation, Jose Evenor Taboada, was exiled by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo to the United States on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, just one day after the organization announced the suspension of its national fundraiser this year.
Taboada, who also heads the corporate law firm Consortium Legal, was summoned to the office of Deputy Minister of the Interior, Luis Cañas, and from there was taken directly to Augusto C. Sandino Airport to be deported to the United States, a source linked to the Telethon confirmed to Confidencial.
The Telethon Foundation Nicaragua announced on Tuesday, March 4, that it was canceling its annual fundraiser due to “force majeure.” The event aimed to raise 12 million córdobas (approximately $327,651 dollars) to support children with disabilities, according to its Board of Directors.
This is the first time in 25 years that the Telethon Foundation has canceled its annual fundraising campaign.
“The Board of Directors of the Telethon Foundation informs the Nicaraguan public that, due to force majeure, the fundraising event scheduled for Thursday, March 6, is suspended,” the charitable organization stated in a press release.
Telethon Offices Under Police Surveillance
The offices of the Telethon Foundation, located in Altamira, Managua, were under police surveillance on the morning of March 5, 2025, as seen in a video circulating on social media.
Since 2000, the Fundación Teletón has organized a national fundraising event through a televised artistic and cultural show in which private companies make donations. The event had become the main solidarity initiative in Nicaragua.
At the same time, volunteers travel across all 153 municipalities in Nicaragua with collection boxes, allowing citizens to contribute.
The funds raised were then allocated to provide care for children with disabilities at specialized centers built in various regions of Nicaragua.
In its statement, the Telethon Foundation expressed gratitude “to all the people who have joined this noble cause and shown their solidarity with people with disabilities.” However, it did not explain the reasons for canceling the event.
The Telethon Foundation is registered in Nicaragua as a non-profit organization and has not been among the thousands of NGOs forced to cease operations amid the country’s ongoing crisis.
First published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.