Ismaelito: King of The Holly Thugs

The spirit of Ismaelito and other dead crooks constitute the embodiment of the Holly Thugs of Venezuela. It is all too astounding to learn that whereas Ismaelito and his criminal cronies were perhaps, the most celebrated crooks in the Venezuelan history, they have amazingly  become the most worshiped dead souls in the land mainly because in life, they were the  modern day Robin Hoods of that country. They robbed, and broke meat stores of the rich and when they had got what they needed, they would then invite the poor under their gang protection to have a share of the loot.

Today in death, Ismaelito who is regarded as  King of  Santos Malandros or the Holly Thugs is still looked  upon by his believers as the spiritual provider of protection in a country were killing of man by man has become so rampant and almost out of the control of the civil authorities. For most Venezuelans around Caracas, they spontaneously take it upon themselves to pay tribute and prayerful offerings at the graveyards of the Holly Thugs once and a month. They believe so fervently that praying and giving offerings to Ismaelito and other dead saints like Petroleo Crudo, El Raton, and La Malandro who were infamous criminals would guarantee their safety and protection. It ought to be noted that nearly all of these crooks were brutally murdered by the police in the 1960s and 70s.

The Cult of Holy Thugs encapsulated in the spirits of these dead crooks and criminals present a moral ambiguity that swings between good and bad. At one point in time, the spirits of the Holly Thugs is seen to be responsible for helping a child of a desperate mother to keep off drugs, yet at the same time, the same spirits will be seen to be behind a successful drug delivery to the desired market without police interference. There is also a danger, usually acknowledged by believers of this cult that the Malandros spirits can turn against someone seeking help.

Even the believers of the Holly Thugs in Caracas admit that the logic behind their belief in the Malandro spirit is contradictory, yet they quickly realize that when one has to walk along dangerous terrains after dark in a country where imminent death is rife almost all the time, the company of the dead Malandros is more comforting than a situation where one has to plead for his/her dear life with a living criminal intent on executing violent death for no value.

The Catholic Church which is the dominant religion in Venezuela does not recognize the spirituality of the Malandros and the most interesting thing to note is that some of the worshipers of the spirits of the holly Thugs double as Catholics at the same time.