In Madrid, there is everything. It is a multicultural city that brings together businesses designed for all profiles, from the most rational to the most superstitious. And for the latter, there are some stores in Madrid that always invite you to enter. This is Santeria.
Some stores sell herbs, candles, stones and various objects that promise to directly alleviate or cure illnesses, solve economic problems or even solve problems related to love. But the supposed power of Santeria goes much further, since the santeros or babalawosname given to the leaders, can even perform exorcisms and rituals.
For this reason, in some of these establishments there are scenes that seem to be taken from a horror movie, since the Association of Victims of Santería denounces that the development of these ceremonies and rituals sometimes puts “at risk the health of the clients” who frequent these places. In addition, they also point out that This is, above all, a “scam”.
The Police are aware of these practices. Last Wednesday, July 17, several agents of the Madrid Municipal Police, belonging to the Environmental Commissioner, learned following a complaint from the aforementioned association: in one of the more than 30 santerías in Madrid, there would be a ritual where they would go to sacrifice various animal species.
For this reason, they set up a discreet surveillance service. After arriving at the Santería, the agents verified that five species of roosters were locked in a box inside. They were prepared for the ritual. During this inspection, objects such as knives, swords and means containing remains, presumably blood, and feathers attached during previous rituals were also found.
Municipal police raid a Santería de Tetuán.
A police procedure was carried out during which the person responsible for the activity was informed of his involvement in the above-mentioned events and was investigated for the crime of animal abuse.
The recovered birds were transferred by the municipal services to the Animal Protection Center (CPA) where they were kept. Among the aforementioned objects, they were confiscated for laboratory analysis and brought to justice.
Helping the victims
A spokesman for the Association of Victims of Santeria explains in a telephone conversation with Madrid Total who help all those “who have been victims of scams in the Santerias”: “We always ask them to report to the police, they are usually vulnerable profiles to those who promise to be cured of an illness and end up taking money from them.
“Once a person has fallen into the networks of a Santeria, his life becomes a nightmare from which it is not easy to escape. For example, a woman who reported taking her daughter to Santeria because she had fallen. To cure her, they told her that she would have to perform a ritual with herbs on her body and “the santero ended up abusing the minor”, They are from the association. These sources also indicate that this case took place in the Canary Islands, was reported and the santero ended up in prison.
This specific case highlights how dangerous it can be to blindly trust mere superstitions. The Association of Victims of Santeria has seen the lengths to which babalawos, or leaders of Santeria, can go: “I infiltrated a Santeria and they told me I had a bad spirit, so I I had to undergo an exorcism, also called paraldo. For this ritual, they cleanse your body with herbs, but you have to be naked and they asked me to bring a change of clothes.”
From the association, they compare the activity of the Santerias with that of “the sects”: “They are very good at capturing people and, in the end, everyone who leaves ends up saying that they have fallen into the clutches of a sect,” he adds.
The spokesman for the Association of Victims of Santeria explains to this newspaper that the “real deal” is “in private consultations and rituals”: “A private consultation usually costs around 70 euros and A ritual like the paraldo costs 750 euros. “Also, everything must be paid before the benefit is received.”
But the prices mentioned above are nothing compared to what they can get from a victim: “The goal of the babalawos is to ‘initiate’ people into Santeria and provide them with training. This can cost up to 3,000 euros. People who enter the babalawos networks do not consider them as bad people, that is why it is not easy to get out of the deception once they have started,” they add.
This is why, faced with this situation, this organization wants to initiate a bill that protects people who are victims of Santeria: “At present, victims of Santeria do not have a clear legal element with which to defend themselves, which is why we want to to move this law forward.”
