1/3/2023 0 Comments Jesus malverde“Marijuana growers needed to turn to something ‘supernatural’ in the fight against authorities”Īlthough Malverde died in 1909, his cult did not become truly popular before the 1970s. This story is an unconscious reference to the ancient Greek myth of Antigone, who defied King Creon of Thebes to bury her banished brother’s body. So the peasant defied authorities and buried Malverde. If you help me find them, I will bury you like a Christian.’ And lo, the mule and cow appeared beside the body. A peasant then came to the place the body hung and told Malverde: ‘I have lost my mule and cow. Legend has it that when he was captured and hung by authorities, they refused to bury his body. Malverde is said to have been a Robin Hood-type figure, who robbed from the rich to give to the poor. His nickname ("evil green" in Spanish) comes from the fact that he apparently hid in bushes and trees before his attacks on wealthy haciendas. Malverde lived in the state of Sinaloa at the turn of the 20th century, and his real name was Jesus Juaneznazo. Jesus Malverde was a real person, but many untrue or embellished stories were weaved into his life and death to build the myth surrounding his person. Gabriel Regino is a professor of criminology in Mexico City, and a specialist of the traditions and folklore linked to organised crime. "All those who pray to Malverde have some kind of link with illegal activities" The Mariachi sings: “I pray to him and visit his chapel, Malverde!” Procession in Culiacán, Sinaloa, on May 3 2008, for the 99th anniversary of Malverde's death. Smaller festivities take place elsewhere in Mexico or within Mexican-American communities - mainly in areas with a strong drug cartel presence. They are followed by dancing balls during which songs are played in Malverde’s honour. San Malverde’s celebrations begin with colourful processions on May 3 in the streets of Culiacán, the state capital of Sinaloa. His popularity among drug lords is so widespread that police in California have admitted to searching for San Malverde paraphernalia on suspects in order to determine whether or not they may be linked to Mexican cartels. Although he is not recognised by the Catholic Church, this has not dissuaded his followers from building chapels and shrines in his honour along drug trafficking routes in Mexico and near the US border. Sporting a thick black moustache, neckerchief and pistol belt, San Malverde looks more like a character straight out of a Western movie than your typical saint. Every year on May 3, residents of the north-western state of Sinaloa, the birthplace of Mexico’s largest drug cartel, flock to celebrate their beloved “good bandit”. Mexico’s drug lords are so powerful they even have their own patron saint: San Malverde. Photo of San Malverde shrine in a bar in Mexico City posted on Flickr by David Agren.
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