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Santeria, or saint worship, has been a part of Cuban culture for nearly 300 years. The cult grew out of the slave period and is a fusion of Catholicism with the practices of the African Yoruba tribes. Slave owners banned all African religious practice, so the slaves masked their gods with Catholic saints and continued to worship as they had in the past. The religion is made up of several hundred gods, but less than twenty are honored in daily life. Rituals include chanting, dancing, music, and the occasional animal sacrifice. Adherents can be found throughout Cuba clad entirely in white, while the color of the beads worn identifies the particular god an individual most associates with.

It is said that if you scratch any Cuban, Catholic or otherwise, you’ll find a Santeria believer beneath. Nearly every home holds a statue of a Santeria god. Indeed, Castro himself is a believer. Religious rites were restricted for many years under the Communist dogma, but the desperate conditions of the "Special Period" (1992-1995) caused millions of Cubans to openly embrace the practices of the religion. It is said that Castro has encouraged Santeria as a way of countering the rising power of the Catholic Church. As she appears in this photo, the government not only allows, but has set up displosanterias where foreign visitors can consult with Santeria priests and priestesses for money. Reservations can actually be made at any official Infotur office.