060 – El Santo de los Narcos | The Saint of Narcos

This week Jim and May cover an interesting topic, Jesús Malverde, better known as a saint of the narcos, or drug traffickers in Mexico. 

Malverde, who many people pray to, is not in fact recognized by the Catholic Church like most saints, but a saint that people come to in a time of need for not necessarily “pious” matters. It’s grown to be a cultural thing. 

All types of criminals, drug traffickers, and coyotes might pray to him in their time of need when seeking protection from the law or consequences they may face.

As mentioned in the episode, no one is sure that Malverde is a real person, but he is said to have been born in the 19th century in Culiacán and was a “Robin Hood” of sorts for the poor.

Check out the episode to learn more about Malverde and the story of his supposed assassination. 

Links:

• Ep. 023 – Mexico’s Independence
• Level up your Spanish with our Podcast Membership
  • Get the full transcript of each episode so you don’t miss a word
  • Listen to an extended breakdown section in English going over the most important words and phrases
  • Test your comprehension with a multiple choice quiz