NAFPS Forum

This person was mentioned in another topic. It seems to me that he plays a minor role there, and deserves his own thread.

Quote from: cheeseburger on September 14, 2020, 06:34:34 PM
[Sean Hightower] claims to "study under the lineage" of Kesten Betsa aka Guillermo Arevalo. There are two women who spoke out about Guillermo Arevalo raping and sexually assaulting them during his own 'ceremonies' both in Peru and somewhere canada (bbc news article). There is some information about Guillermo Arevalo's organization on this link ... https://peoplepill.com/people/guillermo-arevalo-valera/.

Quote from: cheeseburger on September 14, 2020, 06:37:01 PM
the bbc article with sexual assualt claims, i had trouble linking it, the title is "I was sexually abused by a shaman at an ayahuasca retreat".

Here is that BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-51053580 ['I was sexually abused by a shaman at an ayahuasca retreat']

That news story is linked to as Note #1 in his Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Ar%C3%A9valo

QuoteGuillermo Arévalo Valera (born 1952) is a Shipibo vegetalista and businessperson from the Maynas Province of Peru. His Shipibo name is Kestenbetsa.

Allegations have been made against him in relation to sexual assaults during an ayahuasca retreat as reported on the BBC news. [1]

In the Spanish version there is no such link, but a separate paragraph: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Ar%C3%A9valo

QuoteDenuncias de abuso sexual
Guillermo ha sido sindicado en reiteradas ocasiones como responsable de practicar abuso sexual a turistas durante las ceremonias de Ayahuasca, así también parte de su equipo de trabajo. Estas denuncias llegan principalmente de clientes occidentales quienes tardan años en denunciar los hechos, esto debido al shock y trauma que les aqueja después de la mala experiencia.

Google Translate makes this out of that:

QuoteReports of sexual abuse
Guillermo has been repeatedly accused of being responsible for the sexual abuse of tourists during the Ayahuasca ceremonies, as well as part of his work team. These complaints come mainly from Western clients who take years to report the facts, this due to the shock and trauma that afflicts them after the bad experience.

I cannot find that anyone accuses Guillermo Arévalo Valera of being a fraud himself. What is questionable is whether he teaches or trains Western New Agers in such a way that they can claim "Curandero in the lineage of Kesten Betsa", "Apprentice of Kesten Betsa lineage" and "Apprentice in the Shipibo medicine" as is the case with Sean Hightower, Stephanie Rose and Arron Aguila of the "Medicine Songs" team.

Quote from: Sparks on September 15, 2020, 03:34:52 AM

Quote from: cheeseburger on September 14, 2020, 06:34:34 PM
He claims to "study under the lineage" of Kesten Betsa aka Guillermo Arevalo.

I found this on the website you referred to (http://www.medicinesongs.ca/):

QuoteSEAN HIGHTOWER
Curandero in the lineage of Kesten Betsa.
Devotion to Spirit, weaving ancestry blood lines of prayer.  Shamanic studies with Kesten Besta, to Lakota Ceremonial Studies and Rituals.

QuoteSTEPHANIE ROSE
Apprentice of Kesten Betsa lineage

QuoteARRON AGUILA
Arron, Apprentice in the Shipibo medicine after many years of his own healing.

Are there other New Agers out there claiming "Kesten Betsa lineage" or similar claims referring to Guillermo Arévalo Valera?

QuoteIn 1996, she was introduced to ayahuasca by the shaman Don Guillermo Arévalo.

Silvia Polivoy  https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Silvia_Polivoy

Spirit Vine Retreats & Silvia Polivoy, Ayahuasca for Sale by White Exploiter http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=5694.msg49288#msg49288