Marjorie de Sousa has two theater performances scheduled for Saturday, October 17. Before either curtain rises, she will be working another stage, joining Venezuela's Teletón from Mexico City after finishing work late the night before.
In an exclusive interview with this reporter, the Venezuelan actress described the packed schedule behind her participation in Teletón Venevisión 2026: Unidos por Venezuela. But as she explained what appearing on her home country's television again means to her, the conversation turned to the family she helped leave, the career she once maintained there and the fear that now keeps her from returning.
"That day I have two performances at the theater," de Sousa told this reporter in Spanish. "I finish working very late on Friday, and I'm going to head out very early on Saturday so I can help my country."
De Sousa will participate alongside Venezuelan presenter Marie Claire Harp from Mexico City, one of three production hubs for the 15-hour fundraiser, alongside Caracas and Miami. The October 17 broadcast will raise money for communities affected by Venezuela's June 24 earthquakes.
For the actress, the commitment extends a support network she has found among fellow Venezuelans working in Mexico.
"There are a lot of Venezuelans in the cast of Perfume de Gardenia, and we've created a beautiful bond," she said. "I think we have to support one another, and it's been very special for me to participate, to do my small part for my country, which needs it so much after everything that has happened."
She also addressed social media comments suggesting she was being paid to appear.
"It makes me laugh because people post online, 'Of course, because they paid you.' No, sir. I'm not charging for this," she said. "Part of helping is contributing my work and, obviously, donating."
De Sousa said she generally prefers to keep her donations private, although she acknowledged that discussing them can encourage others to contribute.
The Teletón will reconnect her with Venevisión, the broadcaster where she began building her acting career. She thanked both Televisa and Venevisión for making the appearance possible, describing the Venezuelan network as "the first company that hired me."
Her early credits include Venevisión's Amantes de luna llena, the Leonardo Padrón telenovela that aired in 2000. International recognition followed through Gata salvaje, before roles in Mexican productions including Mariana de la noche and Amores verdaderos. Her portrayal of Kendra Ferreti in the latter became a defining role, followed by the romantic lead in Hasta el fin del mundo.
Working abroad initially meant expanding her opportunities while keeping a professional life in Venezuela. In the interview, she recalled a routine of leaving to film a telenovela and then returning home for another production or advertising campaign.
"I left for work many years ago to fulfill my dreams, and I've achieved that," she said. "And because I achieved my dreams, I was able to bring my mother over, get my brother out, get my father out."
That success also changed where her family lived and what returning home would mean. "Before, I would go abroad to do telenovelas, but I knew there was always a place that would welcome me with open arms, which was my country," she said. "Now you feel that place doesn't exist, so to speak, because my whole family has left."
De Sousa said helping her relatives leave was necessary because of circumstances in Venezuela, although she did not detail their individual experiences.
"It feels very strange not being able to go back and work in your country, to make telenovelas," she said. "I would always do a telenovela abroad and then go back to work in Venezuela. I had advertising campaigns. I worked a lot in my country."
"Now, honestly, because of fear and many other things that aren't discussed, I can't go back."
She did not identify a specific threat or elaborate on the circumstances behind that fear. Her participation in the Teletón will take place from Mexico, allowing her to address Venezuelan viewers directly from the country where she continues to work.
Her latest production, Infinito amor, premiered October 12 on Las Estrellas and will air in Univision starting November 9. De Sousa plays Amanda Soriano, an antagonist in the Salvador Mejía telenovela starring Livia Brito and Gonzalo García Vivanco.
De Sousa also remembered when Venezuela welcomed performers from other countries, describing the hospitality she now receives in Mexico as familiar.
"Many of you used to go to work in my country, and it was beautiful how we welcomed you," she said. "We made you feel at home, the way you make us feel at home here."
She expressed hope that those exchanges, and the possibility of working in Venezuela again, would return. "I know we're going to achieve a completely, truly free Venezuela," she said.
For now, the Teletón offers a reunion through the screen. "Being on Venezuela's screens again feels like a gift," she said. "It's something I can't explain. It really is something very special."
The fundraiser is led by Dividendo Voluntario para la Comunidad, Venezuela's United Way Worldwide affiliate, with advisory support from Fundación Teletón México. Presenters include Maite Delgado, Viviana Gibelli, Nelson Bustamante, and Daniel Sarcos in Caracas, and Jessi Rodríguez, Vicky Van, Chiqui Delgado and Raúl González in Miami.
The complete broadcast begins October 17 at 9 a.m. Eastern on ViX and Venevisión Play, with coverage on Venevisión in Venezuela. Univision will air a U.S. television special from 6 to 8 p.m. Eastern. Donations can be made through Dividendo Voluntario para la Comunidad.
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