It surprises me that for whatever reasons, Latin America likes their idols no matter what. Seriously, think for a moment about how many Latin American Catholics exist, then narrow down into Mexico and consider how many saints are worshiped by Mexican Catholics. It begins to boggle the mind how Latin America is so lost, or at least headed towards being lost, while their neighbors to the north finish off Easter celebrations this past week. I'm sure I was making a good point here, until I realized that Jose Luis De Jesus over in Florida has convinced much of Florida into believing that he is the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
With such a terrible introduction, you're bound to get a few gold gems in here right? Yes. Saint Death is in the cross hairs of the Drug War participants. At least that's what Saint Death's followers are saying, as they try to protest the destruction of a shrine dedicated to the relatively unorthodox saint. Over 5 million followers are claiming that Saint Death is not some fringe believe branch of Catholicism, they truly are citing that this destruction of their shrine is nothing more than disrespect for their religion.
Maybe it's not the religion so much as it is what has happened around the shrines that is getting targeted for destruction. For instance in 2007 gunmen shot and killed three men at a Santa Muerte altar in Nuevo Laredo. At another shrine, in Tepito, a growing black market is booming selling contraband, drugs, and so much more, creating a police nightmare.
"They link her with criminals because many of the people they arrest bear her image. But there are a lot of hard-working people behind her," said protester Ernesto Hernandez, 40, who said he owns a furniture shop on the edge of the capital.Sounds like a mixed bag of cultural animosity. Whether people are being socially targeted for discrimination, or being persecuted for their beliefs is a topic of debate. However, it seems that wherever the Saint of Death has a shrine, trouble, violence and yes, death seems to follow.
Src - The Guardian, Reuters
Image source - The Guardian
