United for Armando: Support in His Fight Against ALS

A few months ago, we saw an interesting yet concerning interview that was unexpectedly conducted with Btv Panama reporter Armando Echeverría Moreno by his colleague, Ciuranys Carcache. Along with Diana Vásquez, BtvPanama’s production manager, they decided to bring attention to what Armando was going through. In a surprising revelation, they exposed a silent health condition that has been affecting him—he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) approximately a year and a half ago.

Artículo en español

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease in which motor nerve cells deteriorate or die, preventing them from sending messages to the muscles. Over time, this leads to general muscle weakness, spasms, and an inability to move the arms, legs, and the entire body, including the thoracic muscles. As a result, it progressively becomes more difficult to eat, drink, speak, and breathe. (A well-known example of this disease and its effects was the British scientist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with ALS at a young age.)

Currently, Armando is already showing evident signs of ALS progression in his body. He has completely lost mobility in his right hand and has partially lost mobility in his right leg, along with other symptoms that, while less advanced, are present in his daily life. At times, this condition prevents him from carrying out his work as we were accustomed to seeing him do.

With this general overview and with the full support of the Bocas TV family, including its manager Juan de Dios Vásquez, Armando’s friend Alessandro Gazza from Bocas Island Express / Servientregas, Bocastv, and Nicholas Corea from Bocas Breeze have joined forces to launch a fundraising campaign. The funds collected will be used to purchase an electric wheelchair to donate to Armando Echeverría, in recognition of his dedication and efforts for the benefit of our community—often going beyond his duty as a journalist, even putting his own safety at risk.

We know Armando Echeverría Moreno’s compassionate nature, as he has quietly and without seeking recognition helped many people in our community and remote areas with their health situations, working to improve conditions for everyone. With this in mind, we ask for your support, as we do not know how quickly this disease will progress in our dear friend, who has given everything for his beloved Isla Colón and Bocas del Toro.

To show your support, you can visit the Bocas Island Express office and make your contribution. The office is located on Isla Colón, Calle Primera, in front of PanaBocas Express (formerly Taxi 25).

If you prefer to make a transfer, you can do so directly to Armando via:

🔹 ACH: Armando Echeverría, Banco General, 0472000158069 (ahorros)
🔹 Yappy: 6601-6571

Let’s give back a little of the much that Armando Echeverría Moreno of Bocas TV has given us for over 20 years with his reports, striving to find solutions to many of our community’s issues. May God bless you greatly.