“Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar”

“Traveler, there is no path, the path is made by walking”

– Antonio Machado

Life seems to take a Pause, as we bow our heads to one of our friends who has left this world today, leaving behind a legacy that can never be forgotten.

Guadalupe Tempestini, December 1945- June 2025

Honorary Member of UNIMA International (2021). Member of the Executive Committee of UNIMA International (1984–1996), serving three terms, elected at the Congresses in Dresden (Germany) in 1984, Nagoya (Japan) in 1988, and Ljubljana (Slovenia) in 1992. Member of the Latin American Commission of UNIMA International. International Councillor representing Spain at UNIMA International (1984).

One of the founders of UNIMA Argentina, Guadalupe Tempestini played a key role at the 13th UNIMA Congress in 1980 in Washington, D.C., USA. There, she nominated Jacques Félix for the position of Secretary General of UNIMA—with the support of the Latin American delegates—a nomination that led to his election and marked the beginning of a new chapter in UNIMA’s history with Charleville-Mézières.

She also proposed the inclusion of Spanish as an official language of UNIMA, alongside English, French, Russian, and German—an important milestone in the history of the Association.

Guadalupe Tempestini was an anthropologist and social scientist from the National University of Rosario, Argentina. Exiled from Argentina in 1981, she and her family—her partner Alcides Moreno and their two young children, Barbara and Lucas—emigrated to Spain, where they settled in Seville. Despite her difficult situation, Guadalupe continued her work defending and disseminating the art of puppetry in the broadest sense. This was demonstrated by the creation of UNIMA Andalusia in 1981, even before the creation of UNIMA Federation Spain, which was founded in 1984.

The creation of UNIMA Andalusia marked a turning point in puppetry, not only in Andalusia but throughout Spain. In Andalusia, all subsequent activities were promoted, such as the International Puppet Fair in 1981, the puppet courses for Spanish-speaking Latin Americans run by the Provincial Council and the Seville Theatre Institute, the Gelves Puppet Workshop, and the specialization of the Alameda Theatre into a theatre dedicated to children. These achievements led to an increase in the number of puppet theatre companies, from four in 1981 to more than 30 today.

A series of courses were held at the Feria_ Internacional_ del_ Títere_ de_ Sevilla_, sponsored by UNIMA Federation of Spain, UNIMA Andalusia, the Latin American Commission of UNIMA International, and sponsored by the Seville City Council. These courses brought to Seville the world’s finest creators, artists, and masters, among others: Henryk Jurkowski, Margareta Niculescu, Philipe Genty, Román Paska, Yang Feng, Carlos Aladro, Joan Baixas, Claudio Hochman, Mauricio Kartun, Massimo Schuster, Peter Schumann, Alain Lecucq, Michael Meschke, Greta Bruggeman, Sílvia Osman, Albrech Roser, Henric Jurkowski, Irina Niculescu, Lescot, and Philipe Genty, among many others.

She initiated scholarships and awards for Latin American and Spanish puppeteers, artists who have made a name for themselves in their own right, encouraged by these actions.

Guadalupe Tempestini as many of us all around the world knew her as, was  always at the fore front, supporting puppeteers and puppets.

We have lost one of our giants—from Spain and from the world.

Goodbye, dear friend. You will always be remembered—for all that you have done for us, for the beautiful smile, and for your spirit.

We will not forget you, as you will continue to guide us.

Amen.

On behalf of UNIMA EC and UNIMA International

—Dadi D.Pudumjee

UNIMA President of Honour