Operation Black Christ in Effect

Security and health authorities are gearing up for this Thursday’s Black Christ Festival in Portobelo.

On hand to protect the 60,000 to 80,000 faithful visitors will be 600 men and women of the National Police, the Aeronaval Service, the National Civil Protection Service and the Red Cross.

Some Black Christ devotees walk as many as 125 miles from the interior of the country to the Caribbean coastal village.  Among the pilgrims are thousands of muggers, burglars and drug dealers, seeking forgiveness from the Black Christ for their crimes.  They will be prohibited from carrying knives and firearms.

As the story goes, the now revered statue of the Black Christ miraculously washed ashore in Portobelo 352 years ago when the town was a Spanish colonial port and large slave market.

The Black Christ, Portobelo