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Mexico targets the Santa Muerte or Death Saint popular with criminals
Yahoo News ^ | April 19, 2009 | Olga R. Rodriguez

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 ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Mexico
KEYWORDS: santamuerte

1 posted on 04/25/2009 6:13:32 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
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To: kellynla; calcowgirl; AuntB; SierraWasp; ElkGroveDan; NormsRevenge

This alleged saint, a sort of female grim reaper, has shown up in some American communities, as well.


2 posted on 04/25/2009 6:14:38 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (Being condemned for corruption by Mexico is like being lectured on morals by the adult film industry)
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To: Clintonfatigued


The location in the caption said Laredo.

3 posted on 04/25/2009 6:27:32 PM PDT by BIGLOOK (Keelhaul Congress! It's the sensible solution to restore Command to the People.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Family values don’t stop at the border.


4 posted on 04/25/2009 6:32:50 PM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

How creepy. And people worship her?!


5 posted on 04/25/2009 6:33:24 PM PDT by KittyKares (.)
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To: KittyKares

Some of her leave prayers and offerings next to her statue.


6 posted on 04/25/2009 6:39:32 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (Being condemned for corruption by Mexico is like being lectured on morals by the adult film industry)
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To: KittyKares

Syncretism. Like in the US, individual Roman Catholic bodies aren’t always very vigorous about putting away abominations.


7 posted on 04/25/2009 6:40:25 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Beat a better path, and the world will build a mousetrap at your door.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

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.


8 posted on 04/25/2009 7:11:17 PM PDT by Haddit (God Bless America, God Damn Obama)
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To: Clintonfatigued

OH BOY that will help.


9 posted on 04/25/2009 7:19:23 PM PDT by Texas resident (Older but smarter)
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