The Santos Malandros: Venezuela's Holy Thugs Cult

By M.P. Pellicer | Stranger Than Fiction Stories
Caracas has become the murder capital of the world. In the heart of this city where poverty and violence are experienced by those living there on a daily basis is a shrine. The altar is not populated by recognized religious statues, but by colorful cap-wearing images with brightly-colored trousers and cigarettes hanging from their mouths. It is to these dead gangsters that the desperate come to pray for protection. 

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Cementerio General del Sur c.2023

The most widespread religion in Venezuela is Christianity, but the poor and vulnerable come to pray in a shrine in the heart of Caracas. It is located in Cementerio General del Sur, which dates back to 1876. It is surrounded by slums perched on hillsides overlooking the roughest part of the city. 

Inside this place are not statues of saints, but men dressed in colorful, modern clothing, sideways baseball caps, guns stuck in their belts and a cigarette hanging from their mouth. These are statues of thugs and criminals long dead. It is said all the Malandros are buried in this graveyard. Malandros, is a Venezuelan slang for delinquents of various trades, and "el malandreo" is a Venezuelan gangster identity.

The Santos Malandros (Holy Thugs) became prominent in the city of Caracas in 1989, after the 3-day riots that tore the city apart and was known as the Caracazo.

Cesar Chavez took over the government in 1999, and murder and violence has been on the rise since then, escalating to an all time since the ascension of Maduro's communist regime. The most recent numbers estimate 111.2 murders per 100,000 residents, making it the second most violent city in South America and the Caribbean, right behind Los Cabos, Mexico. It's believed the estimate is not really accurate but much higher, but due to the mass exodus from Venezuela the country's population is continuously shifting. The government does not release official data and local media hasn't been providing full reports, making it a nation that has become “incapable of counting its dead.”

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The Malandro Court at the Cementerio General del Sur, Venezuela

It is this violence that drives devotion to the "Malandro Court" – also known as "calé court" which encompasses a pantheon of criminals. The most popular of the Santos Malandros is Ismael Sanchez.

It is said that Ismael was stabbed to death by the criminal Leo in the 23 de Enero parish, another version says that it was in a confrontation with the PTJ "Chino" Jiménez on the old road to La Guaira. A year after his death he supposedly appeared in body and soul to an elderly lady who suffered from cancer, and after that she was miraculously cured of her illness. Since then Ismael became a spiritual myth.

​Ironically is seems that Ismael Sanchez was an unrepentant criminal in life, and though he robbed the populace his followers say he was more of a Creole Robin Hood thug, who never stole anything unless it was for the neighborhood, so everybody could eat. "Stuck in purgatory", he is seeking redemption, justice and a place in heaven by helping those in need.

A few graves away from this place are the graves of Freddi José Saavedra ("El Pavo Freddi", born in 1955 and died in 1982) and Elizabeth Castillo (Corte Kalé), as indicated by a book-shaped plaque and another flat one that is like a ceramic mosaic.

Some of the other thugs are Malandro Miguelito el Pelon, Chama Isabelita (Ismael's girlfriend), Freddi el Raton and Petroleo Crudo among others. Worship at the shrine starts with an offering which can range from flowers, drugs, and the favorite which is cigarettes or tobacco. To make sure your prayer is taken into consideration, you should light the cigarette and then place it in the mouth of one of the statues.

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Statues of the Malandreo Court, which is sold in esoteric stores in Venezuela

The shrine is located at the supposed grave of Ismael Sanchez, even though it is believed this is not the exact location. It sits behind one of the most visited graves that of María Francia who favors students, as she was one when she met her death after being bitten by a snake. Other petitioners come to the "calé court" asking not to be mugged on the street, women wanting protection from an abusive partner and cops who seek protection in their jobs.

In this city of the dead, there is more than one grave with offerings and supplicants desperate for help, in the most desperate of times and places.

Esoteric stores sell busts or statues of the cult such as: la Chama Isabel, el Chino, Petróleo Crudo, Félix Azuaje, la Cleo, Rigoberto Martínez, Luis Antonio, Miguelito el Muelita. There are elements of santeria in the practice. Visitors come dressed all in white with offerings in hand.

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Graves of Malandro Ismael (Corte Calé), General Cemetery of the South, Caracas, Venezuela c.2017 (Source-Flickr-Johnny Gomes)

The Malandros though also carry negative consequences, since at times they will possess one of their supplicants who has mediumistic abilities, and they will ask for drugs, firearms and alcohol which they experience through the bodies of the human they have "mounted".

The Malandros are part of the Maria Lionza cult which believes the dead coexist with the living, and channeling them is part of their practices. The cult incorporates new "saints" who reflect the country's situation.

Devotees come asking for protection from crime, but criminals come for aid to carry out their illegal activities. It's understood the Malandros can help you, but they can also turn against you. Spiritualist priest or brujos act as channelers to pass on messages from the "thugs".

The popularity of this group could also be attributed to society in Venezuela, where crime has grown disproportionately, in which deceased criminals are venerated.

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