Jesús Malverde ( ; born Jesús Juárez Matzo Campos, 24 December 1870 – 3 May 1909), commonly referred to as the "generous bandit", "angel of the poor", or the "narco-saint", was a Mexican bandit and folklore hero in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.

He was of Yoreme and Spanish heritage. He is a "Robin Hood" figure who was supposed to have stolen from the rich to give to the poor. He would steal gold coins from the wealthy residents of Culiacán, throwing his earnings into the doorways belonging to impoverished citizens which eventually earned him his name. He is celebrated as a folk saint by some in Mexico and the United States, including among drug traffickers.

History

The existence of Malverde is not historically verified.

In his youth, railroads were introduced to Sinaloa, which exponentially boosted Agave and sugar agriculture. While in turn, producing economic inequities that Sinaloa's substantial peasant population had never experienced. Malverde is said to have been a carpenter, tailor, or railway worker. 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 of banditry. His nickname Malverde () was given by his wealthy victims, deriving from an association between green and misfortune. Whereas César Güemes states, as translated by Creechan, Malverde never had a physical life, his existence is widely based on social imagination and cultural narrative. Historical evidence remains uncertain, and Malverde's significance lies more in his symbolic meaning than his history. Today, the Malverde following reflects both local expressions of resistance and broader cultural tensions surrounding faith, crime, and identity in modern Mexico.

Culture

Since Malverde's supposed death, he has earned a Robin Hood-type image, making him popular among Sinaloa's poor highland residents. His bones were said to have been unofficially buried by local people, who threw stones onto them, creating a cairn. 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. The original site, which became a parking lot, has since been revived as an unofficial shrine, with a cairn and offerings.

Malverde quickly became one of the most influential folk heroes in Mexican culture by redistributing wealth to the poor, therefore exposing the corruptness that lies within the Mexican government. His outlaw image has caused him to be adopted as the "patron saint" of the region's illegal drug trade, and the press have thus dubbed him "the narco-saint." 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. They include candles, anointing oils, incense, sachet powders, bath crystals, soap and lithographed prints suitable for framing.

In culture

A brewery in Guadalajara launched a beer named after Malverde in northern Mexico in late 2007.

A likeness of Malverde appears in an episode of the TV show Breaking Bad. In several episodes of its spin-off series, Better Call Saul, Lalo Salamanca wears a necklace that contains a depiction of Malverde. Tony Dalton, the actor who plays Salamanca, explained the meaning of Malverde in a video in which actors review their character's props.

Malverde: El Santo Patrón is a 2021 Telemundo series based on Malverde's life, with Pedro Fernández playing the lead role of Malverde.

See also

  • Chucho el Roto, a Mexican bandit who stole from the rich and shared with the poor
  • Gauchito Gil, an Argentinian folk saint who stole from the rich to give to the poor
  • Nazario Moreno González, a Mexican drug lord sometimes seen as a folk saint or Messiah
  • Santa Muerte, a Mexican folk saint associated with drug cartels and criminality

References

Further reading

  • Esquivel, Manuel. Jesús Malverde (Jus Ed., Mexico, 2008)
  • Kingsbury and Chesnut 2019, 'Narcosaint' Jesús Malverde Miraculously Materializes at Trial of El Chapo Guzman by Kingsbury and Chesnut, Global Catholic Review
  • Quinones, Sam. True Tales from Another Mexico: the Lynch Mob, the Popsicle Kings, Chalino and the Bronx (Univ. of New Mexico Press, 2001)
  • Wald, Elijah. Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas.
  • "Without God or Law: Narcoculture and belief in Jesús Malverde." James H. Creechan and Jorge de la Herrán-García. 2005. Religious Studies and Theology 24:53.
  • Pacific News, "Jesus Malverde-Saint of Mexico's Drug Traffickers May Have Been Bandit Hung in 1909"
  • Portland Mercury, "Our Blessed Saint of Narcotics?"
  • Washington Post, "Time Zones: An Hour at the Feet of a Mexican Narco-Saint—In the Eerie Twilight, Frenetic Homage To a Potent Symbol"
  • International Herald Tribune, "Mexican Robin Hood figure gains a kind of notoriety abroad"
  • Mexican Robin Hood Figure Gains a Kind of Notoriety in U.S. – New York Times
  • Photos by Jorge Uzon: The Chapel of Jesus Malverde in Culiacan, Sinaloa