Witch builds 11-meter statue of the Devil in Ceará, Brazil

A spiritual leader known as Mãe Rainha das Trevas, or Mother Queen of Darkness, has erected an 11-meter statue honoring the Devil in Taíba, a district of São Gonçalo do Amarante in Brazil's Ceará state. She is a practitioner of Quimbanda, an ancestral spiritual practice she describes as seeking spiritual evolution, where reincarnation is viewed as a curse to be overcome. The monumental statue is located at her religious temple, the Palácio Estrela Negra da Quimbanda, which celebrated its 29th anniversary on July 25, the same day the statue was inaugurated. Mãe Rainha das Trevas, who has nearly 800,000 Instagram followers, spent approximately R$100,000 of her own money on the project. She also presents herself on social media as the 'Witch of politicians,' claiming many parliamentarians seek her help to win elections. Previously, she operated a place called "Casa dos Caixões" (House of Coffins) in Fortaleza, which she recalls was entirely black and contained four coffins. The temple has obtained all necessary permits and complies with urbanistic and environmental regulations, including authorization from the State Secretariat of the Environment, as it is situated in an Area of Environmental Protection. Mãe Rainha das Trevas views demons with affection, stating, "I say the name demon with much love, because demons are good, demons help." Her temple hosts monthly public rituals and parties, drawing 200-300 attendees, and she engages in charitable activities, donating ritual offerings and children's toys. Despite online criticism, she feels secure due to community respect. Quimbanda, often considered a marginalized cult, is an oral tradition without a central religious text. Practitioners aim for spiritual evolution to avoid reincarnation, aspiring to become spiritual entities like Exus and Pomba-Giras.