Walter Castillo is a well-known painter who lives in Bullet Tree Falls in the Cayo District, and he says he was beat up and almost lost his ability to paint. According to Castillo, at the end of February, he was attacked by another artist and his brother, both of whom he considered friends. He's not sure what their motivation was, but he suspects it may have been a dispute over a client. We spoke to him over the phone earlier today, and he gave us more details...
Walter Castillo, Belizean painter
"One of my client that came from the island to see some of my work and to purchase some work from another painter, the guy was staying at my house. In the evening we went out to see the other painter. So I waited for them in a different place. After they did some business, this other painter rejoined us with his brother to the restaurant where we were eating and we stay talking around the table for a while eating pizza, drinking a couple of beers. He was saying that his family grew up at the premises behind the restaurant, because I know these artists have nothing to fear, so the client and the 2 guys we went behind the premises and we were looking at the river and talking and joking, like we always do when we are having fun. When all of a sudden the brother of this painter threw me to the ground and he started to hit and kick me and so the client started to panic and saying to stop beating me. She was really upset and I just stay on the ground covering my face."
"The client went to the front to get some help and in the meantime these guys just continue kicking me. The other artist he put his foot on hand and grab my finger and pull it off and he say to this brother to take his arms so I cannot paint again. About that same time I am crying on the ground and begging them please not to do it. This guys is a really big guy and I am a very small guy. I weigh 130 pounds. This guy is like over 200 pounds. The guy who came to help us, he had quite a struggle to get him off from me, but he manage to and the guys they ran to their motorcycle and escaped."
Castillo says he went to the police the next day to file a report, and the brothers have been arrested and charged. Now, Castillo, who is recovering from severe injuries to his kidney, ribs, arm and fingers, is waiting to get justice in court later this month.
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