In some cases, the offerings take a more sinister turn. A former gang member, who chose to remain anonymous, disclosed to AFP that certain associates within the gang have resorted to gruesome acts such as human sacrifices. “They abducted children from neighboring towns and offered them as sacrifices in front of Santa Muerte when they sought to carry out a significant operation,” he revealed. Santa Muerte: Guardian Saint of Healing and Protection Revered as The Skinny Lady or The White Girl, Santa Muerte is a guardian saint known for healing and protection. Thousands of Latin Americans turn to her in prayer for safe passage into the afterlife. Believed to have originated in 18th century Mexico, Santa Muerte garnered a following amongst drug lords in the region. Tragic incidents have unfolded around her altars, like the shooting deaths of two women and a boy in a Mexican shrine dedicated to La Santa Muerte last November. More recently, the saint has been embraced by traffickers and hitmen in Duran, a city plagued by drug gangs that intimidate and extort locals. Apart from making offerings at altars, gang members often ink the image of Santa Muerte on their bodies and wear amulets bearing her likeness around their necks. Santa Muerte’s influence made its way to Ecuador about six years ago, when members of the Ecuadoran gang Los Choneros underwent training from the notorious Sinaloa cartel, which also imparted its occult beliefs. According to police in Duran, altars dedicated to the saint were discovered in approximately six out of every ten raids conducted in 2024. Los Choneros is among the 20 criminal organizations branded as “terrorist groups” by Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa, who is seeking re-election as he combats drug gangs responsible for a surge in violent crime within the once-peaceful country of Ecuador. Recently, a prominent figure from one of Ecuador’s major crime syndicates, Los Lobos, was apprehended at his residence in Portoviejo. Last year, the U.S. identified Los Lobos as the largest drug trafficking syndicate in Ecuador. Noboa imposed a state of emergency and deployed troops in response to escalating violence and instability in prisons, yielding a slight decrease in homicide rates in 2024 compared to the previous year. The president’s decisive actions followed incidents like the armed assault on a TV studio and threats by criminals to randomly execute civilians and law enforcement officers. A prosecutor investigating the assault was later assassinated. Law enforcement officers in Duran and Guayaquil, situated near the port increasingly utilized for shipping cocaine to Europe and the United States from neighboring Peru and Colombia, fear working near Santa Muerte altars. Despite Ecuador being predominantly Catholic and the Church’s disapproval of portraying death as a deity, many Ecuadorans find no conflict in blending their faith with reverence for Santa Muerte. The saint’s imagery is now widely embraced in society, with dep
“I feel dizzy,” he said, though he personally does not believe in the powers attributed to the saint. An altar adorned with images of the Police investigating crime scenes or carrying out searches does not result in the destruction of Santa Muerte statues they encounter, unless there is evidence indicating they contain drugs or ammunition. “In Ecuador, there exists freedom of worship, and anyone is entitled to it; it is not a criminal offense,” stated Santamaria. USAID is set to be integrated into the State Department with significant budget reductions. Details concerning Chinese retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, scheduled to come into effect next week, have been disclosed. The Senate has confirmed Pam Bondi as attorney general, while RFK Jr.’s nomination advances.
