The use of the popular song “Santa Muerte” by Mexico’s ruling party has been criticized by Mexico’s local bishops, calling it a distortion of the country’s “fundamental values” ahead of presidential and local elections that have seen marred by violence and the murder of candidates. UCA News reported this on April 27.
“As a church, we strongly condemn this glorification of violence and call on all sectors of society to unite in the total rejection of these destructive practices.”the bishops said in a statement.
“We must choose to rebuild and restore Mexico, which has been expressed through the values of faith, family (and) coexistence.”the statement says. “Our nation must grow by bringing out the best in people, not succumbing to the darkness of violence.”.
Controversy erupted when the ruling Morena party, whose name is a reference to national patron saint Our Lady of Guadalupe, posted a photo of a skeletal figure on its official X social media account on April 20 with a warning to sexists: “A real man never speaks badly of López Obrador.”in reference to the president of the country, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Later, T-shirts with the image and warning went on sale, Mexican media reported.
The image of Santa Muerta has attracted enormous attention from social media users. Critics called it inappropriate given the drug cartel violence plaguing the country and noted the president’s penchant for attacking those calling for greater security.
The president is often insensitive to atrocities (he laughed when reporters asked him about an attack on three ambulances that killed two paramedics) and has never criticized drug cartels since taking office in late 2018, instead speaks out against their “demonization,” the statement said. noted.
Xóchitl Gálvez, candidate of the tripartite coalition, denounced the image of the skeleton as a representation of Santa Muerte and called on voters to choose: “Life and truth.”
López Obrador defended it in his April 23 press conference as a matter of religious freedom. “It has to do with freedom, even religious freedom, which speaks of death.”said the president.
The president has skillfully used religious discourse throughout his term, which ends on September 30, as he is constitutionally prohibited from running for re-election. He often talks about morals and values, quotes Scripture and the writings of Pope Francis, and calls Jesus Christ the defender of the poor.
His party’s name, Morena, appeals to followers of the national standard, but he has developed close ties with evangelical pastors and has not identified himself as a member of any denomination.
Morena’s candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum, has a strong lead in all polls for the June 2 elections. The party identifies as left-wing but attracts followers from across the political spectrum, including many Catholics, analysts say. According to the anti-crime group Causa en Común, the vote was accompanied by a campaign of violence, with at least 39 people involved in politics murdered during the election campaign.
Love for the skeletal Santa Muerte has grown dramatically in Mexico over the past 20 years, attracting devotees from all walks of life, including drug cartels and criminal gangs, although the Catholic Church has declared the figure dangerous. . Victims and abusers often turn to Santa Muerte for help.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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