According to recent reports by Argentina’s La Nacion and other media, about 20 people are missing in Venezuela, including five children. Led by a cult leader named Rosa GarcÃa, the missing went to a “spiritual retreat” in the Andes. Garcia said the Virgin Mary revealed to her that “the end of the world is coming”.
Garcia, 57, persuaded more than 40 people from La Greta, Venezuela’s Tachira state, to attend his August 22 meeting in the country of General Juan Pablo Peña Losa, according to Argentina’s La Nation. “Spiritual Retreat Tour” held in the park. Garcia is understood to have told the group that they would have a “spiritual meeting” with God or the Virgin Mary in a secret area within the national park.
All members had planned to return on September 1, but they were unable to return home individually that day and were reported missing later.
According to the “Nation” report, Garcia showed abnormal behavior, asking believers to no longer worship Christ in La Greta town, not to look directly at the Virgin Mary, and to throw away their mobile phones, so some people quit the group.
Venezuelan authorities said on September 7 that nine of the missing were from the same family, and they traveled to the mountains at an altitude of about 1,440 meters in two vehicles.
La Greta Mayor Juan Carlos Escalante said 160 rescuers from search and rescue teams and law enforcement agencies were searching for the missing. To expand the search area, the authorities also deployed drones and rescue dogs.
About 160 members of the search and rescue team in La Greta are searching for the missing person, who has been missing since August 22. Source: Facebook
On September 5, authorities found an abandoned farm where the missing person had discarded several pieces of clothing and left some food scraps.
According to locals, Garcia formed a group called “Following Jesus”. The group often gets together to hold prayer meetings for those battling the disease.
Others recalled that Garcia’s group “turned from religious practice to fanaticism” and that some members “beat their chests” as they promoted their teachings. Others said Garcia’s family thought she was mentally unstable.
“She sent people to confession, mass and prayers,” a resident told the Nation. “She said that many bad things were about to happen, that Christ shed blood and tears for what we have done, and the world is about to end.”
According to Venezuelan digital news outlet Impacto Venezuela, since March, all members of the group have not been allowed to watch TV and must start prayers at 3 a.m. every day. Women were also asked not to have their hair done and not to show their faces outside.
During a mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on September 4, Father Jesús Mora warned the public to be wary of “fanatics” like Garcia.
“You have to be wary of fanatics, because fanatics do a lot of damage, and God doesn’t want us to be fanatics,” said Jesus Mora.
It is reported that Garcia is unmarried and previously opened a food stand next to a food stall run by her sister Teresa GarcÃa. She has influenced Theresa’s family of six, urging them to join the group together.
