Posted on 04/25/2009 6:13:32 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Mexican authorities are cracking down on an icon worshipped both by drug dealers and by the terrified people who live in drug-torn neighbourhoods: the Santa Muerte, or Death Saint.
A skeletal figure of a cloaked woman with a scythe in her bony hand, the Santa Muerte has become more popular in Mexico even as its drug wars have become more violent.
Mexican law enforcement won't say outright it is targeting Santa Muerte, but last month soldiers stood guard while government backhoes crushed more than 30 public shrines to the saint in Nuevo Laredo, across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas. In the two weeks before, several altars in Tijuana and an altar built on the highway between Reynosa and Rio Bravo were razed.
"The government's line is that it promotes narco-trafficking and is a symbol to which children in particular should not be exposed," said Mexico expert George Grayson at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. "This is a marginal step against traffickers. But no doubt the government wants to take a holistic approach."
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
This alleged saint, a sort of female grim reaper, has shown up in some American communities, as well.
Family values don’t stop at the border.
How creepy. And people worship her?!
Some of her leave prayers and offerings next to her statue.
Syncretism. Like in the US, individual Roman Catholic bodies aren’t always very vigorous about putting away abominations.
They do celebrate the Santa Muerte Death Saint here in Canoga Park California. This is an area where the Mexicans are vocal about killing Black Americans.
OH BOY that will help.
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