Jesús Malverde,
possibly born as Jesús Juarez Mazo (1870–1909) (pronounced: [xeˈsus malˈβeɾ.ðe]),
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 a "Robin Hood figure" who was
supposed to have stolen from the rich to give to the poor.[2]
He is celebrated as a folk saint by some in Mexico and the
United States, particularly among those involved in drug trafficking.[3] He is not recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church.
History[edit]
The existence of Malverde a.k.a. 'El Rey de Sinaloa' is not
historically verified.[4] According to Patricia L. Price, he is said to have
been born Jesús Juarez Mazo, growing up under the rule of Mexican dictator
Porfirio Diaz, whose local supporter Francisco Cañedo ran Sinaloa. He is
supposed to have become a bandit after the death of his parents, which he
attributed to their poverty. His nickname Malverde (bad-green) was given by his
wealthy victims, deriving from an association between green and misfortune.[2]
According to the mythology of Malverde's life, Cañedo derisively offered
Malverde a pardon if he could steal the governor's sword (or in some versions
his daughter). The bandit succeeded, but this only pushed Cañedo into hunting
him down. He is supposed to have died in Sinaloa on May 3, 1909. Accounts of
his death vary. In some versions he was betrayed and killed by a friend. In
some he was shot or hung by local police.[2] His body was supposed to have been
denied proper burial, being left to rot in public as an example.
Writer Sam Quinones says that there is no evidence that the
Malverde of the legend ever lived, and that the story probably emerged by
mixing material from the lives of two documented Sinaloan bandits, Heraclio
Bernal (1855-1888) and Felipe Bachomo (1883-1916).[5] Bernal was a thief from
southern Sinaloa who later became an anti-government rebel. Cañedo offered a
reward for his capture, and he was betrayed and killed by former colleagues.
Bachomo was an indigenous Indian rebel from northern Sinaloa who was captured
and executed.
Since Malverde's supposed
death, he has earned a Robin Hood-type image, making him popular among Sinaloa's
poor highland residents. His bones were said to have been unofficially buried
by local people, who threw stones onto them, creating a cairn. Throwing a stone
onto the bones was thus a sign of respect, and gave the person the right to
make a petition to his spirit.[2] His
earliest alleged miracles involved the return of lost or stolen property.[5] His
shrine is in Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa. Every year on the anniversary of
his death a large party is held at Malverde's shrine. The original shrine was
built over in the 1970s, amid much controversy, and a new shrine was built on
nearby land.[6] The
original site, which became a parking lot,
has since been revived as an unofficial shrine, with a cairn and offerings.[7]
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."[8] 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. Price says that "Narcotrafickers have
strategically used Malverde's image as a 'generous bandit' to spin their own
images as Robin Hoods of sorts, merely stealing from rich drug-addicted gringos
and giving some of their wealth back to their Sinaloa hometowns, in the form of
schools, road improvements, community celebrations."[2]
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.
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