AFP PHOTO/LUIS ACOSTA LUIS ACOSTA/Getty Images Show More Show Lessġ2 of38 13 of38 Souvenirs are displayed outside the chapel of Saint Jesus Malverde, a bandit of the XVIII century turned into the "saint of the drug dealers" by the people in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico on June 2, 2008. In the course of the year, there were at least 1,378 deaths, 47% more than in the same period in 2007. Executed, beheaded, tied and tortured bodies with messages against rival bands, or threatened police and street announcements are part of the geography of violence in several states of Mexico. Mexico is being whipped by a war among drug cartels disputing their place and the trafficking to the United States with unusual ferocity and sophisticated arms on June 11, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Luis Acosta MORE IN IMAGEFORUM LUIS ACOSTA/Getty Images Show More Show Less 11 of38 View of the facade of the chapel of Saint Jesus Malverde, a bandit of the XVIII century turned into the "saint of the drug dealers" by the people in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico on June 2, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Luis Acosta LUIS ACOSTA/Getty Images Show More Show Lessĩ of38 10 of38 Picture taken on June 2, 2008, in Culiacan city, Sinaloa state, shows souvenir stores outside the chapel of Saint Jesus Malverde, a bandit of the XVIII century turned into the "saint of the drug dealers" by the people. LUIS ACOSTA/Getty Images Show More Show Less 8 of38 Picture taken on Jin Culiacan city, Sinaloa state,shows two musicians performing inside the chapel of Saint Jesus Malverde, a bandit of the XVIII century turned into the "saint of the drug dealers" by the people. AFP PHOTO/Luis Acosta LUIS ACOSTA/Getty Images Show More Show LessĦ of38 7 of38 A man lights a candle in the altar of Saint Jesus Malverde, a bandit of the XVIII century turned into the "saint of the drug dealers" by the people in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico on June 2, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Yuri CORTEZ YURI CORTEZ/Getty Images Show More Show Less 5 of38 A child sits inside the chapel of Saint Jesus Malverde, a bandit of the XVIII century turned into the "saint of the drug dealers" by the people, in Culiacan city, Sinaloa state, Mexico, on June 2, 2008. His cult is very popular among the common felons and nowadays, as it has happened with other expressions of the popular culture, it was appropriated by the drug trafickers. A sort of local Robin Hood who robbed the rich to give to the poor, he was born in 1888 in Paredones, near Culiacan, and was presumably hanged at the age of 21.
Jesus Malverde is a popular saint non recognized by the Catholic Church. 3 of38 4 of38 A young man prays at the altar in the Chapel of Jesus Malverde on Jin Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico.