Vargas' mother, Eliseo, was a naturopath who spoke one of the Zaparoan languages, while his father, Acevedo, was a Kichwa-speaking merchant specializing in iron housewares.
The passage describes Vargas' parents: his mother, Eliseo, was a naturopath who spoke a specific language (Zaparoan), and his father, Acevedo, was a Kichwa-speaking merchant who sold iron household goods.