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One Friday afternoon in February, Francisco Álvarez León loaded his white pickup with a basket of honey, a bottle of beer, and a bundle of yellow flowers. He turned on corridos, then drove with his wife and two young kids to their favorite riverbank in Colima, México. This is where Álvarez León practices Lucumí alongside two other priests, who are called babalawos in the religion; known around the world as Santería, Lucumí shares its name with the West African-descendant communities in Cuba who first developed the practice, which has since expanded across Latin America and its diaspora.
Upon their arrival, Álvarez León and his family sat by the water, unpacking the offerings one by