In the morning hours of this Friday, December 13, the death of journalist Mara Comerlati, widow of cartoonist Pedro León Zapata, was announced, according to what was spread on social networks.
The National College of Journalists (CNP), as well as professionals from the union and other acquaintances, expressed their condolences for the physical disappearance of Comerlati on the night of Thursday the 12th; who covered the Art and Culture source in the newspaper El Nacional.
A mournful day yesterday. In addition to the beloved Violeta Rojo, Mara Comerlati, Zapata’s life partner, left us. Two important losses for the world of culture.
— Mirco Ferri (@mircoferri) December 13, 2024
I wake up to the sad news of the death of my dear friend Mara Comerlati @Maracomer. Mara was a brilliant journalist, a supportive friend, the first to be happy about the good things that happened to her friends.
We will miss her. I thank God for having her…— Mari Montes 🇻🇪 ⚾️🐾🫓🎵💜✝️🏳️🌈 (@porlagoma) December 13, 2024
The dear colleague Mara Comerlatti, Ucabista, excellent professional, started from this plan. She displayed her skills in the Art and Culture section of El Nacional in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Widow of Zapata and pioneer of children’s scientific journalism. A being that we will miss.
— nabor zambrano (@zambranonabor) December 13, 2024
#13Dec The Board of Directors fulfills the painful duty of participating in the death of Mara Comerlati (Zapata’s Widow), a prominent journalist with extensive professional experience, who for years covered the art and culture section of @ElNacionalWeb . pic.twitter.com/ajZExyktku
— CNP Caracas (@CNPCaracas) December 13, 2024
I regret to inform you that our beloved Mara Comerlati (Zapata’s widow) passed away on the night of this Thursday, December 12.
Rest in peace! Condolences to Liliana and other family and friends pic.twitter.com/rcfKyluRsk—Rolando Salazar. (@RolandoSalazar) December 13, 2024
One of the best journalists, a person of great values, widow of Pedro León Zapata.
It is not at all pleasant to report that a person like Mara Comerlati undertook her last and obligatory journey.
I pray to God for his eternal rest and to his family I accompany them in their feelings. pic.twitter.com/LgIPhw8AFt— Manuel Correa (@mancorre) December 13, 2024
Goodbye Mara dear
Mara Comerlati is gone, a unique being, of infinite generosity, one of those beings that one is grateful to have encountered in life.
Mara was the consistent companion of our Master Pedro León Zapata.This story is one of many that reflects his… pic.twitter.com/lRzW62ehsJ
— EDO (@EdoSanabria) December 13, 2024
In recent days, a campaign was spread through digital platforms in which ORH+ and ORH- blood donors were sought to help the social communicator at the Méndez Gimón Policlínica in Caracas.
Born on May 5, 1952, Mara Comerlati obtained her degree in Social Communication at the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB). In 1982 she married Pedro León Zapata, with whom she had two children.
In an interview given to the SIC magazine in July 2015the year in which Zapata died, Comerlati reported that he had become eyes and hands for the famous cartoonist after having undergone surgery. He then proposed to continue making the cartoons for the newspaper El Nacional even though he was prevented from doing so, since he was progressively losing his abilities.
“I told him we needed the money, which wasn’t a lie. And that’s how I managed to keep him active,” the journalist recalled at that time.
In order to get the job done, they managed to articulate a code that would allow them to make the caricatures at the end of their lives.
«When it became impossible for him to articulate words – Mara says – he began to dictate to me letter by letter. And when that couldn’t be done either, we developed a code: he told me things and with that I deduced the letter. For example, I pointed to the floor, where my cat settled, and that was the letter G; If he pointed at the dog, it was the P, at the ceiling it was the T. And with the G, I said, “Government?” A blink of the eye confirmed it to me. And we always managed to get the job done. I lent him my eyes and my hands, because he couldn’t use his and, even so, he continued to surprise me every time he dictated the cartoon to me,” the text says.
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