Espiritu Santo: La Santera

Beside gold mines, hidden in the jungle, Santa Blanca raised the Sanctuary of the Santa Muerte.

• OperatioN: Influence
• Chief: La Santera
• Ecosystem: Jungle

The province of Espiritu Santo follows the upper valley of the Rio Habana. It is covered by a dense jungle. This is where the death road ends. The river is the second most used communication way. Apart from these two means of access, the province has remained wild and is inaccessible.

Human activity is focused on the exploitation of small gold veins. Several small mines are at work, all isolated in the jungle. There are also a few coca fields on the eastern border.

The small town of Alta Gracia is the capital of the province. This is where the miners rest. The second resort, Guari, is a fishing village, the last, Bahia Floresta, is a cocaleros village.

In the seventeenth century, a Catholic mission was constructed, whose purpose was to convert the indigenous peoples and protect them from the greed of local lords. The fields were cut in the jungle and a large population lived in the territory of the mission of Espiritu Santo, which gave its name to the province.

Then the religious order lost control of the mission and the people abandoned the premises. Only a church survived and was maintained by the locals.

El Cardenal was seduced by this beautiful church lost in the heart of the jungle and decided to deposit the relics of the Santa Muerte that he had in his custody. Here, no one would violate them and this secluded location would be a perfect pilgrimage for the faithful followers of the Santa Muerte.

Since then, the mission has become the holiest shrine of the Santa Muerte. Houses were built to accommodate the pilgrims and chapels. Sicarios guard these sacred places that have been handed to La Santera, a Santa Muerte priestess.

The practical spirit of Santa Blanca is also at work in the province. The cartel took possession of the gold mines. In honor of the Santa Muerte, collected gold was melted to create statues of the death goddess.

Maria del Rocio Mendez, aka La Santera

BORN: 13/08/1982 in Jalapa, Mexico

CARTEL POSITION: Preacher

La Santera grew up Catholic in Mexico, obsessed with the blood and killing of the Martyrs in Roman Times. She was convinced that the job of the church was to condemn the evil persons, especially the heretic, erase them from the face of the earth. When she was a teenager, she learned about Santa Muerte. She was fascinated with the fact that the followers must repay Santa Muerte for the good luck she brings them, or they will be punished. Many followers live in fear of the death saint. She opened a Santa Muerte sanctuary, and if she had just a handful of followers at first, she quickly drew crowds similar to the local Catholic church. El Cardenal liked her and introduced her to El Sueño. Inspired by her devotion to the Santa Muerte, Sueño insisted she spread the word in Bolivia, which she is doing in her own way and making her own holy war.

She thinks of herself as a contemporary martyr, she’s unable to form emotional attachments or feel empathy and she proclaims she is a virgin.