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Guillermo ArevaloCurandero (healer-shaman), public figure, popularizer of medicinal plants
Date of Birth: 03.11.1952
Country:  Peru |
Content:
Guillermo Arevalo Valera: A Renowned Healer and Advocate of Amazonian Medicine
Early Life and Education
Guillermo Arevalo Valera was born on November 3, 1952, in the village of Yarinacocha near Pucallpa, Peru. He is a member of the Shipibo-Conibo tribe. From 1970 to 1972, he worked at the Hospital Amazonico in Yarinacocha.
Career in Healthcare and Advocacy
In 1972, Arevalo Valera began working for Geopsical Interncontinental, focusing on employee healthcare. From 1977 to 1981, he dedicated his efforts to researching and promoting traditional indigenous medicine.
In 1991 and 1992, he served as an advisor on healthcare projects in Guatemala and Peru. Since 1993, he has been the Executive Director of the Institute for Research and Dissemination of Amazonian Medical Practices (IDIMA). He also serves as a consultant for the Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest.
Family Legacy
Arevalo Valera's father, Don Benito Arevalo Barbaran, was a respected healer in the Shipibo community, with heritage from the Shipibo and Aymara tribes. His mother, Dona Maria Valera Teco, is Shipibo and currently practices medicine at the Spirit of the Anaconda center. She represents the Shipibo tradition of embroidery, fabric painting, and ceramics, passed down through the female line.
Shamanic Practice
As a curandero (shaman-healer), Arevalo Valera has earned the title of Kenstenbetza (Echo of the Universe) in the Shipibo-Conibo tradition. His shamanic practice began with a year-long initiation diet in the Amazon rainforest.
Known as one of the world's leading indigenous healers and ayahuasca shamans, Arevalo Valera is the director of the Spirit of the Anaconda (Espiritu de Anaconda, Anaconda Cosmica) healing center near Iquitos, Peru. He trains students from around the world, sharing the Amazonian traditions of medicinal plants and their uses.
Filmography
Arevalo Valera has appeared in a few films showcasing his work:"Other Worlds" (2000) by Jan Kounen
"Blueberry" (2004) by Jan Kounen, where he played an elderly shaman
