Posted on 01/11/2011 9:23:01 AM PST by Alex Murphy
Mexican authorities announced the detainment of the leader of the Santa Muerte cult and eight other members on charges kidnapping and extortion in Mexico City.
David Romo Guillén, leader of the Traditional Catholic Church that is also known as the Santa Muerte, and the other suspects were arrested between December 18 and 20, but the arrests were not made public until this week.
Mexican authorities also allege that Romo and the eight others disguised themselves as members of the Zetas drug gang to kidnap two elderly people for ransom money. All nine members detained were placed under a form of house arrest for 30 days pending investigation.
Romo said the arrests were politically motivated and said he was tortured.
“In this pre-election time, they are moving (against) a lot of innocent people, to fill their quotas,” Romo said, adding that he didn’t even know some of the other eight suspects, The Washington Post reports.
Santa Muerte fuses elements of pre-Columbian indigenous practices and African customs with Catholicism. It has become very popular throughout the country, especially among Mexico’s drug cartels, who ask La Santa Muerte for her protection as they commit their crimes.
“While it is true that narcos and thieves and others worship her, not everyone who worships her is a criminal,” said Eva Aridjis, director of the documentary “La Santa Muerte,” according to The New York Times. “What I encountered was many sick people or people who were in danger of dying or lived in dangerous environments. Drug addicts and prostitutes but also policemen and taxi drivers.”
The Roman Catholic Church condemns the cult and La Santa Muerte is not a recognized saint, nor is Romo a recognized bishop.
....Santa Muerte fuses elements of pre-Columbian indigenous practices and African customs with Catholicism. It has become very popular throughout the country, especially among Mexico’s drug cartels, who ask La Santa Muerte for her protection as they commit their crimes....
....The Roman Catholic Church condemns the cult and La Santa Muerte is not a recognized saint, nor is Romo a recognized bishop.
According to another article:
"The church has an estimated two million followers in Mexico and the U.S. The religion’s skeletal icon, a grim reaper dressed in white stain, is also revered by drug cartels and viewed as a protector against death or arrest."Related threads:
Santa Muerte Death Saint Ping!
Will the ACLU be down there to defend his Constitutional rights??
NO!
This is Mexico. The ACLU attorneys are worthless scumbags and traitors but they are not stupid.
You want stupid? Try Janet (BIG SIS) Napolitano who keeps telling anyone who will listen that the Border is the safest now than it has been in 20 years!
What is Aztlan, Raza, and MEChA
Nothing new here folks, just more hate speech from the left....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.