Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Bruno Rivas
For El Comercio

Painting, sculpting or playing an instrument are, without a doubt, privileged gifts. Despite having no physical or intellectual disabilities, many find themselves being mere spectators. This is not the case of Felipe Castillo, Emilia Fuentes, Félix Espinoza, Ángel Tafur, Margarita Mora and Max Hohagen. All of them are great artists in spite of having no hands, being visually impaired or suffering from Down syndrome.

The Day of the Handicapped was celebrated October 16th here in Peru, but it was during that week that various activities related to this event were held. Amongst them, expositions and fairs in which paintings, sculptures and crafts were not the only source of admiration but so were their creators. These are some of their stories.

Painting with no hands
Felipe Castillo (48) and Félix Espinoza (54) have done what any artist would like to do. They have created dozens of paintings, have studied abroad and travelled to other countries thanks to their art which is greatly recognized here in Peru. Another thing they have in common is that neither of them use their hands to paint.

Castillo lost his hands when he was 21 in a work-related accident but 7 years later, he discovered that his passion was painting. “I didn’t think I was going to make it, but a teacher I had convinced me that I could reach my goals,” says this man who has crossed our borders making paintings using hooks instead of hands.

Espinoza has also traveled the world thanks to his art. “I obtained a scholarship in England and showed my paintings in Rummany, Austria, México, Cuba, Brazil and the USA,” he says. This would not be out of the ordinary for an artist of his caliber if it were not for a small detail: Félix paints with his mouth and his left foot.

This man was born with a condition called agenesis that affected his extremities. He has a prosthetic right leg. “In the beginning, I thought I was never going to be able to hold a brush but look at me now: I have a Workshop in Punta Hermosa,” he says.

Felipe and Félix participated in a fair organized by the National Council for the Integration of the Disabled (Consejo Nacional para la Integración de las Personas con Discapacidad, Conadis) which was held in the main headquarters of Petro-Perú (San Isidro), during which 47 paintings and 5 sculptures made many handicapped artists were shown.

Virtuous
Ángel Tafur (29) and Max Hohagen (44) are also exceptions to the rule. During the event’s inauguration, Tafur delighted the audience with his great skill with the pipe organ. He showed that his intellectual disability could not hold him from displaying his talent to the rhythm of “A mi Manera.”

Max shows us his paintings and asks us when he will be featured in the newspaper. He uses a technique known as clean painting in which colors do not mix.

“His paintings sell very fast,” says his mother with pride.

Music for the soul
At her short 7 years of age, Emilia Fuentes dreams about being a cumbia star. “Her visual impairment and hyperactivity will not hold her back,” say her parents. We hear her sing the theme song of the TV show “Al Fondo Hay Sitio” and we believe it.

“I started late because I thought the poliomyelitis that impaired me would not let me pursue a musical career. Polo Campos and Mario Cavagnaro convinced me of the opposite,” Margarita Mora tells us while she holds “Un Nuevo Amanecer” in her hands, her new album which carries the title of her life story.

They participated in the opening of the Expoferia de Artesanos y Productores con Discapacidad that was held in the Chabuca Granda walk and that was organized by the Council of Lima and the NGO Yancanahuasi. The fair was integrated by 35 disabled producers and craftsmen that allow us to think like Guillermo Vega Espino, president of Conadis: “Aim for what you can do, not for what you cannot.” And we will.

Many express their disapproval for eugenicist abortion
The Day of the Handicapped is celebrated in the middle of a debate about the decriminalization of eugenicist abortion.

The disabled artist Felipe Castillo does not agree with this measure. “We only get one life and we must take it as it is handed to us. Having a special child is not an obstacle for a good life,” he explains.

Nestor Tafur López, father of Ángel Tafur, who is a musician and athlete, speaks against this too. “Kids with Down syndrome are the most loving company one can have,” he says.

Alicia Peschiera, mother of the intellectually impaired Mac Hohagen, has a different opinion. “I think it is each mother’s personal decision. I was very lucky with Max but I know of lots of mothers who have suffered a great deal as a result of malformed children,” she states.

Guillermo Vega Espino, president of Conadis, and the congressman Michael Urtecho, both handicapped, speak against eugenicist abortion. “Events like this serve to demonstrate how much handicapped people have to offer. They have a lot to give to society,” says Vega.

“I can assure you that a person with congenital malformations can pull through. I would tell those mothers to think it over before they make a decision,” tells us Urtecho.

As it may be remembered, on the 6th of October of this year, the Criminal Code revision commission approved the text that decriminalized abortion in the case of rape or congenital malformation.

The numbers
3,800,000 Peruvians have some sort of disability, according to Congress’ Handicapped Commission.

March 1st, 2010 is the date in which action will start to be taken against companies that do not have 3% of handicapped people working for them.

S/. 42,600 is the fine for companies that do not follow this regulation.

Three out of every 100 handicapped Peruvians have a stable job, according to the commission.

70% of the visually impaired in Peru are illiterate.

Translated by Diana Schwalb