Jesus Malverde vs. Santa Muerte - This is no Lucha Libre

With the Mexican government going after Death (with a capital D) in the last few weeks, protesters are complaining about the removal of the shrine to that equal opportunity saint. Santa Muerte appears to have upset a few folks in the Calderon admin...and I have to wonder if it doesn't have to do with more than narcotics.

1) PAN Catholicism at the leadership level is NOT the folk Catholicism and syncretic Baroque worship of the Santa Muerte followers. Do we have some lingering Sinarquista influence among the PANistas? I'd say that is not a hard stretch.

2) Drug cartels also have leaders that give deep devotion to border saint Jesus Malverde... is the PAN going after him? I haven't heard that they are...if they are, write in and let me know. If they aren't, it seems to me that they may not be because Malverde is a Northern santo and to go after him would REALLY unsettle some northern PANistas. Then again, Malverde is also more popular amongst those crossing the border, unlike Santa Muerte who has deep followers in DF.

Ask El Jefe Maximo, but I'm not sure this is a nest the PANistas want to stir up with a stick.