Jesús Malverde | |
|---|---|
 Jesús Malverde image | |
| Angel of the Poor, Generous Bandit, The Narco Saint | |
| Born | 24 December 1870 Sinaloa, Mexico |
| Died | 3 May 1909 (age 38) Sinaloa, Mexico |
| Venerated in | Sinaloa;Folk Catholicism |
| Majorshrine | Culiacán, Mexico |
| Feast | 3 May |
| Patronage | Mexican drug cartels, drug trafficking, outlaws, bandits, robbers, thieves, smugglers, people in poverty |
Jesús Malverde (pronounced[xeˈsusmalˈbeɾde]lit. 'bad-green Jesus'; bornJesús Juárez Matzo Campos, 24 December 1870[1][2][3][4] – 3 May 1909), commonly referred to as the "generous bandit", "angel of the poor",[5] or the "narco-saint", was a Mexicanbandit andfolklore hero in the Mexican state ofSinaloa.
He was ofYoreme and Spanish heritage. He is a "Robin Hood" figure who was supposed to have stolen from the rich to give to the poor.[6] He is celebrated as afolk saint by some in Mexico and the United States, including among drug traffickers.[7]
The existence of Malverde is not historically verified.[8]
Malverde is said to have been acarpenter,tailor, or railway worker.[1] It was not until his parents died of either hunger or a curable disease, depending on the version of the story, that Jesús Malverde began a life ofbanditry. His nickname Malverde (lit. 'bad-green') was given by his wealthy victims, deriving from an association between green and misfortune.[6]
According to the mythology of Malverde's life, he held a long-standing rivalry withFrancisco Cañedo [es], the governor of Sinaloa, who he thought mistreated the poor.[4] One time, Francisco derisively offered Malverde a pardon if he could steal his sword (or, in some versions, his daughter). He is supposed to have died in Sinaloa on 3 May 1909.[9]
Accounts of his death vary. In some versions, he was betrayed and killed by a friend. In others, he was shot or hanged by local police.[6] His body was supposed to have been denied proper burial, being left hanged to rot in public as an example of what happens to those who steal.[5]
WriterSam Quinones says that there is no evidence that the Malverde of legend ever lived, and that the story probably emerged by mixing material from the lives of two documented Sinaloan bandits,Heraclio Bernal (1855–1888) and Felipe Bachomo (1883–1916).[10]
Since Malverde's supposed death, he has earned aRobin Hood-type image, making him popular amongSinaloa's poor highland residents. His bones were said to have been unofficially buried by local people, who threw stones onto them, creating acairn. Throwing a stone onto the bones was thus a sign of respect, and gave the person the right to make a petition to his spirit.[6] His earliest alleged miracles involved the return of lost or stolen property.[10] His shrine is inCuliacán, capital of Sinaloa. Every year on the anniversary of his death, a large party is held at Malverde's shrine. The original shrine was built over in the 1970s, amid much controversy, and a new shrine was built on nearby land.[9] The original site, which became aparking lot, has since been revived as an unofficial shrine, with a cairn and offerings.[11]
Theoutlaw image has caused him to be adopted as the "patron saint" of the region'sillegal drug trade, and the press have thus dubbed him "the narco-saint."[12] However, his intercession is also sought by those with troubles of various kinds, and a number of supposed miracles have been locally attributed to him, including personal healings and blessings.[9]
According to Patricia Price, "Narcotraffickers have strategically used Malverde's image as a 'generous bandit' to spin their own images as Robin Hoods of sorts, merely stealing from rich drug-addicted gringos and giving some of their wealth back to their Sinaloa hometowns, in the form of schools, road improvements, [and] community celebrations."[6]
Spiritual supplies featuring the visage of Jesús Malverde are available in the United States as well as inMexico.[3][13] They includecandles, anointing oils,incense, sachet powders, bath crystals, soap and lithographed prints suitable for framing.
A brewery inGuadalajara launched a beer named after Malverde innorthern Mexico in late 2007.[14]
A likeness of Malverde appears in an episode of the TV showBreaking Bad. In several episodes of its spin-off series,Better Call Saul,Lalo Salamanca wears a necklace that contains a depiction of Malverde.[15]Tony Dalton, the actor who plays Salamanca, explained the meaning of Malverde in a video in which actors review their character's props.[16]
Japanese rapper A-Thug released a mixtape named « God MALVERDE » after him in 2017.[citation needed]
Malverde: El Santo Patrón is a 2021Telemundo series based on Malverde's life, withPedro Fernández playing the lead role of Malverde.[17]