Читать книгу Real Zombies, the Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse - Brad Steiger - Страница 47

Shortly after dictator Manuel Noriega’s fall from power in 1989, U.S. intelligence sources revealed that the real ruler of Panama had been a Voodoo practitioner named Maria daSilva Oliveira, a 60-year-old priestess from Brazil who practiced Candomble and Palo Mayombe.

Witnesses stated that Noriega relied blindly on his Voodoo necklace, a pouch of herbs, and a spell written on a piece of paper to protect him. Journalist John South, writing from Panama City, Panama, said that those close to the dictator were aware that he did not make a single move without first consulting Maria.

When U.S. soldiers searched the house that Noriega had provided for his Voodoo priestess, they found evidence of spells attempted on former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Maria had written out special ritual chants for Noriega to repeat over photographs of his enemies as he burned Voodoo candles and magic powders.

According to U.S. intelligence, Noriega’s own spy network had informed him that U.S. forces would invade Panama on December 20, 1989. The dictator ordered Maria to conduct an immediate sacrifice to determine the validity of such intelligence reports.

During a ritual ceremony, Maria sliced open the bellies of frogs in order to study their entrails. Her interpretation of the entrails caused her to predict a U.S. invasion on December 21.

Placing more confidence in his Voodoo Priestess than in his intelligence network, Noriega believed Maria. Consequently, he had not yet moved his troops into position when the U.S. military forces attacked on December 20, a day earlier than Maria’s sacrifice had prophesied. Even worse, from the dictator’s perspective, he also missed the opportunity to escape in advance of the invading army.