Three days without word, body found by friends and a heart that failed: Juarez da Tekpix's cousin reveals the cause of death of the 'Vamos falar de coisa boa?' pitchman

The family of Juarez Pontes, known as Juarez da Tekpix, has revealed what caused the death of the salesman who became a fixture of Brazilian TV commercial breaks in the 2000s. Speaking to Metrópoles, his cousin Eloana Pontes said the Forensic Medical Institute document given to relatives cites ischemic cardiomyopathy, a heart disease. Juarez was found dead at his home in Santo Amaro, in São Paulo's South Zone, by friends who grew worried after he had been out of contact for three days.

Eloana said she did not know whether her cousin had ever been diagnosed with a heart condition, but pointed to the family history: both his father and mother died of heart attacks — his father, she said, in Juarez's own arms. A farewell open to fans is scheduled at the Santo Amaro Cemetery chapel half an hour before the burial this Saturday (10).

Juarez started out in phone sales at Tecnomania, the company that sold the Tekpix, and his strong results put him in front of the cameras. In the 2000s he became the face of the 'best-selling camcorder in Brazil' and immortalized the catchphrase 'Vamos falar de coisa boa?' ('Shall we talk about something good?'), which he said before every product pitch. He later worked at RedeTV!, where he was removed after a snack bar employee at the network accused him of harassment. He is survived by a son, Rudson Matos, 23, according to Terra. In recent months, his cousin said, he had been living off occasional jobs, with no fixed contract.