Super Taldo: The Famous Case Of The Chilean Child With Tourette Syndrome
Agustín Arenas Cardozo known as Super Taldo is the protagonist of a very popular video in Chile that was recorded 41 years ago and that recently (a few years ago) went viral on the internet.
The interview was conducted by the journalist Bernardo de la Maza to a boy who, at the time, was 14 years old, and was receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital because he suffered from Tourette Syndrome.
The interview took place on April 12, 1974 for TVN, but was not broadcast to safeguard the dignity of little Agustín, who at that time had strong tics and uttered profanity due to his pathology. The recording remained hidden until, in the midst of the rise of social networks, the video was leaked and circulated on different pages. It became a viral video for its striking behavior.
Agustín Gerardo Arenas Cardozo is a Chilean character who was born in 1960 and is better known as Súper Taldo or AGAC. (your initials). He became famous for a video that became popular on the Internet in which he appeared because he suffered from Tourette Syndrome. Curiously, the initials of the disease Tourette Syndrome coincide with those of Super Taldo.
When the interview was conducted, Agustín was 14 years old. The interviewer was reporter Bernardo De la Maza, former TVN news anchor. Agustin suffered from Tourette Syndrome and the interviewer encountered a child who suffered from nervous tics and shouted inappropriate words, which is called coprolalia. Despite suffering from this condition, Agustín showed himself as a restless, dreamy, sincere and intelligent person.
During the interview in audiovisual format, you can see the reporter very calm, while Agustín repeats inappropriate words. Agustín claims to be an amateur writer and creator of comics. In fact, he receives the nickname Super Taldo after a character created by himself to whom he gave that name. The character of Súper Taldo is, in Agustín’s own words, a superhero from a novel created by himself, who faces crime, injustice and discrimination.
The reason the video never came to light until a few years ago was the inappropriate language that Agustín Arenas inadvertently used. The report finally became public approximately 25 years later, after a leak on Chilean National Television. Some time later it was posted on the Internet, where it quickly went viral due to the strange behavior shown by the young Super Taldo.
Below you can see the Súper Taldo report that went viral:
What is Tourette Syndrome?
He Tourette syndrome either YesGilles de Tourette syndrome (named after Georges Gilles de Tourette, who was the first to describe this disorder in 1885) is a neurological disorder characterized by the person who suffers from them makes involuntary movements and sounds without a specific purpose.
These movements are repeated intermittently, and in situations of stress, they tend to increase. Some of the sounds may include inappropriate language (for example, insults or obscenities). The first symptoms usually appear between eight and eleven years of age. Men are three to four times more likely to have Tourette Syndrome than women.
There is no scientific consensus regarding the causes, although some hypotheses suggest that its origin may be associated with a chemical alteration in some regions of the brain (alterations in the amount of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin). Different investigations have concluded that Tourette Syndrome is a hereditary disease.
You can learn more about this condition in our article: “Tourette syndrome: what is it and how does it manifest?”
Super Taldo today
But what has happened to Super Taldo? What is the life of this character? Many wonder if Agustín still suffers from Tourette Syndrome or if, on the other hand, he has managed to rebuild his life without the presence of tics. In 2004, thanks to a Chilean television program, Súper Taldo appeared again in television format. Agustín still lives in the commune of Conchalí, but his disease is under control thanks to the treatment he has followed and the three operations he has undergone. He hardly has any tics, although he still suffers from some involuntary reflexes.
Agustín tells us that what has really helped him has been the phosphorus therapy which consists of building matchstick models to learn to control tics. Currently, Agustín Arenas has a daughter, works in a packaging company and practices cycling.
Don’t miss the video of the recovered Super Taldo shown below. An example of bravery, dignity and fight from this man.
