News — folk religion
Why Santa Muerte and Jesus Malverde Are Not Just “Narco Saints”
art folk catholicism folk religion jesus malverde latin american culture narco saints santisima muerte
I can’t count the number of references I’ve seen over the past 15 or so years to Santa Muerte being a “narco saint,” with the implication (or even the straight-up assertion) that she’s a saint for drug dealers, boom, like that’s the whole picture. This kind of statement is incredibly reductionist and oversimplified. It ignores nuance, never mind facts, and it betrays a lack of respect for the (sub)culture(s) from which she springs and a total lack of concern for understanding folk religion – in Mexico or in general. Seriously, it’s insulting and dismissive even if you *are* a drug...