By Sol Prendido from Michoacan 3.0
Borderland Beat
April 11, 2019
In Mexico there are several deities that presumably care for people who commit crimes in the country, including Malverde who protects drug traffickers and Santa Muerte worshiped by criminals, but also by the most marginalized. But now faith and devotion has reached the huachicoleros.
This is the 'Santo Niño Huachicolero', a distortion of the Santo Niño de Atocha (a representation of the childhood of Jesus), which has become popular among those engaged in theft of fuel, crime for which the federal government recently implemented an operation to fight it.
The veneration of the image has become more visible since the Day of Candlemas, in which the faithful dress in different clothes to the Child God. Those belonging to the 'huachicoleros' add a few hoses and jerry cans.
There are also circulations of Santo Niño de Atocha holding a hose and surrounded by containers to deposit fuel. The adoration has spread among the residents of the so-called 'red triangle', which covers several municipalities of Puebla, one of the entities with the most theft of fuels.
Recently the Archdiocese of Puebla called on the Catholic faithful not to promote the adoration of this image.
1 comment:
I guess if enough people do it and it becomes socially acceptable the Catholics will come up with a patron saint for it.
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