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Santa Muerte Dichotomy

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This belief of the next realm is the critical point of faith. Believing there is something after death means there is a need to be validated by saints. This validation is crucial when transcending to the next realms because it can determine the realm. Knowing that human souls are not truly dead means that there is a need to communicate with those spirits which are not dead either and are able to protect the living such as Santa Muerte. If there was a true end to human life and the cycle of the soul, there would not be a need to speak and worship gods. Catholic has a focus on a paradise full of bliss after death. However, worshiping Santa Muerte means a paradise during life. By praising her there is the possibility that through pledges she will give you heaven on earth. Although the believers of this saint are viewed as second-class citizens, they worship her to protect them while engaged in crimes. Moreover, a plethora of her followers are individuals who want to stay away from drugs, or other crimes. The perception which saints such as Malverde and Santa Muerte have created falls outside of the norm. …show more content…

Moreover, this syncretism of narco culture and Catholics have also evolved in Colombia. This phenomenon is explored in various movies “La Virgen de Los Sicarios” which is based on a book by the same title. The movie stars German Jaramillo as Fernando, Anderson Ballesteros as Alexi, and Juan David Restrepo as Wilmar. The story is focused around Fernando, who has been absent from Medellin for thirty years. The film explores the romance, which forms between Fernando and Alexis, who is a Sicario. While exploring churches and the city they witness and cause various deaths. There is an apparent polarity between Alexis who has a great level of devotion to the Catholic church but operates outside the moral standards which the religion

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