If you speak with anyone involved in the practice of Santeria, they will likely tell you it is only a force for good, a way for the community to connect with their ancestors by carrying on ancient traditions and by invoking the orishas for guidance.
One of those traditions is the ritual of using herbs, incantations, and blood to cast spells on people. Typically, the spells cast are positive - to find love, good fortune, or protection - but curses are also used to punish the enemies of the community with sickness, bad luck, or even death.
These spells and curses may seem effective simply because the people involved in Santeria believe they work. However, even those who don't believe in Santeria or curses have reported negatively effects.
Ray Quintanilla, a former columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, wrote about one such event happening to him. He identifies as Catholic, and he reported crossing a Santera in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to Quintanilla, the Santera invoked Chango, the demigod of fire, thunder, and war to curse him with 30 days of bad luck. He goes on to claim that he experienced one "awful" misfortune after another, such as both of his front tires popping, two laptops breaking, losing $250 from his checking account, and a coconut denting the roof of his car.
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