Jesús Malverde
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Jesús Malverde, sometimes known as the "generous bandit", "angel of the poor", [1] or the "narco-saint", is a folklore hero in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. He is celebrated as a folk saint by some in Mexico and the United States, particularly among those involved in drug trafficking,[2] but he is not officially recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
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[edit] History
The existence of Malverde a.k.a. 'El Rey Guey de Sinaloa' is not historically verified,[3] but according to local legends he was a bandit killed by the authorities on May 3 1909. Accounts of his life vary – sometimes he was a railway worker, while others claim he was a construction worker. There is also no agreement on the way he died, being variously hung or shot. Moreover, the tree where he was hung dried and never was green again.
Since Malverde's death, he has earned a Robin Hood-type image, making him popular among Sinaloa's poor highland residents. The outlaw image has caused him to be adopted as the "patron saint" of the region's illegal drug trade, and the press have thus dubbed him "the narco-saint."[4] However, his intercession is also sought by those with troubles of various kinds, and a number of supposed miracles have been locally attributed to him, including personal healings and blessings.
Malverde's shrine, near a railway track in Culiacán, Mexico, attracts thousands of devotees each year.[5] They often leave candles or other artifacts from their lives. Fishermen leave shrimp in bottles of formaldehyde. People also leave photos of those in need of help. When miracles are granted, they return to thank Malverde, often leaving plaques commemorating the miracle.
On 23 March 2009 a shrine of Malverde near Tijuana and thirty shrines of La Santa Muerte found near the Mexico-United States border (la frontera) were destroyed by Mexican authorities in an effort to combat against the increased drug-trafficking related violence in the region. José Manuel Valenzuela Arce, a researcher at the Colegio de la Frontera Norte, a Tijuana-based think tank commented, "Destroying these chapels is not going to do anything to diminish crime... someone who's going to commit a crime could just as easily go to a Catholic church as a Santa Muerte shrine, or go nowhere at all.”[6]
[edit] Malverde's legacy
A series of three Spanish-language films have been released under the titles Jesus Malverde, Jesus Malverde II: La Mafia de Sinaloa, and Jesus Malverde III: Infierno en Los Angeles. They all feature tales of contemporary Mexican drug trafficking into California, with strong musical interludes during which the gangsters are shown at home being serenaded by Sinaloan accordion-led conjunto bands singing narcocorridos.
Spiritual supplies featuring the visage of Jesús Malverde are available in the United States as well as in Mexico. They include candles, anointing oils, incense, sachet powders, bath crystals, soap and lithographed prints suitable for framing.
"Always & Forever" is a dramatic stageplay that features Malverde as a prominent character. The play examines various aspects of Mexican-American culture, such as quinceañeras, banda music, and Chalino Sánchez, and premiered in April 2007 at the Watts Village Theater Company in Watts, Los Angeles, California. A revival production opens in May 2009 at Casa 0101 Theatre in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California.
A brewery in Guadalajara introduced a new beer, named Malverde, into the Northern Mexico market in late 2007.[7]
A Malverde bust is featured in AMC's Breaking Bad television series episode entitled "Negro Y Azul".
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Park, Jungwon; Sujeto Popular entre el Bien y el Mal: Imágenes Dialécticas de “Jesús Malverde”. University of Pittsburg
- ^ Penhaul, Karl. "Gang triggerman honored with 'Scarface' hat." CNN. April 16, 2009. Retrieved on April 16, 2009.
- ^ grupo reforma
- ^ The Oregonian: Hidden Powerhouses Underly Meth's Ugly Spread 10/23/2004
- ^ True Tales From Another Mexico (Sam Quinones)
- ^ Dibble, Sandra (29 March 2009), "New front in war on drug gangs", San Diego Union Tribune, http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/mar/29/1n29santa223840-new-front-war-drug-gangs/?zIndex=74321, retrieved 29 March 2009
- ^ Castillo, E. Eduardo, Associated Press (2007-12-07). "Mexican company launches beer in honor of unofficial drug saint". San Diego Union-Tribune. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20071212-1357-mexico-drugsaintbeer.html. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
[edit] Further reading
- Esquivel, Manuel; Jesús Malverde" (Jus Ed., Mexico, 2008) – contains the best research about Jesus Malverde.ISBN 978-607-412-010-3
- Quinones, Sam; True Tales from Another Mexico: the Lynch Mob, the Popsicle Kings, Chalino and the Bronx (Univ. of New Mexico Press, 2001) – Includes the definitive story on Jesus Malverde.
- Wald, Elijah, Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas. ISBN 0-06-050510
- "Without God or Law: Narcoculture and belief in Jesús Malverde." James H. Creechan and Jorge de la Herran-Garcia. 2005. Religious Studies and Theology 24:53.
- Pacific News, "Jesus Malverde-Saint of Mexico's Drug Traffickers May Have Been Bandit Hung in 1909"
- Portland Mercury, "Our Blessed Saint of Narcotics?"
- Washington Post, "Time Zones: An Hour at the Feet of a Mexican Narco-Saint--In the Eerie Twilight, Frenetic Homage To a Potent Symbol"
- International Herald Tribune, "Mexican Robin Hood figure gains a kind of notoriety abroad"
- Mexican Robin Hood Figure Gains a Kind of Notoriety in U.S. - New York Times
