Super Taldo: the famous case of the Chilean boy with Tourette

Agustin Arenas Cardozo, known as Super Taldo, he 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 that time, was 14 years old, and was receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital because he suffered Tourette syndrome.

The interview was carried out on April 12, 1974 for TVN, but it was not broadcast to safeguard the dignity little Agustín, who at that time had strong tics and used profanity due to his pathology. The recording remained hidden until, at the height of the social networks, the video was leaked and circulated on different pages. It became a viral video because of his conspicuous behavior.

Who is Super Taldo?

Agustín Gerardo Arenas Cardozo is a Chilean character who was born in 1960 and is better known as Super Taldo or AGAC (his initials from him). He became famous for a video that became popular on the Internet in which he appeared because he suffered from Tourette Syndrome. Curiously, the acronym for Tourette Syndrome coincides with 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 came across a child who suffered from nervous tics and shouted inappropriate words, which is called coprolalia. Despite suffering from this condition, Agustín was shown as a restless, dreamy, sincere and intelligent person.

A report that went viral on the internet

During the audiovisual interview, the reporter can be seen very calm, while Agustín repeats inappropriate words. Agustín claims to be an amateur writer and comic creator. In fact, he is nicknamed Super Taldo after a character created by himself whom he gave that name. The character of Super Taldo is, in the words of Agustín himself, a superhero from a novel created by himself, who faces crime, injustice and discrimination.

The reason that the video never came to light until a few years ago was the inappropriate language that Agustín Arenas used involuntarily. The report was finally made public approximately 25 years later, after a leak on the National Television of Chile. Some time later it was posted on the Internet, where it quickly became viral due to the strange behavior shown by the young Super Taldo.

Below you can view the report from Súper Taldo that went viral:

What is Tourette Syndrome?

The Tourette syndrome or SGilles 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 them makes involuntary movements and sounds without a specific purpose.

These movements are repeated intermittently, and in situations of stress, 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. Males are three to four times more likely to have Tourette Syndrome than females.

There is no scientific consensus regarding the causes, although some hypotheses suggest that its origin may 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 know more about this condition in our article: "Tourette syndrome: what is it and how does it manifest?"

Super Taldo today

But what happened to Super Taldo? What is the life of this character? Many wonder if Agustín still suffers from Tourette Syndrome or if, instead, he has managed to rebuild his life without the presence of tics. In 2004, thanks to a Chilean television program, Súper Taldo appeared again on television. Agustín still lives in the commune of Conchalí, but his disease is controlled thanks to the treatment he has followed and the three operations he has undergone. He hardly exhibits tics, although he still suffers from some involuntary reflex.

Agustín tells us that what he has really helped him has been the phosphorus therapy, which consists of building phosphorus models in order to learn to control tics. Today, Agustín Arenas has a daughter, works in a packaging company and practices cycling.

Do not miss the video of Super Taldo recovered shown below. An example of courage, dignity and struggle that of this man.