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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Peruvian shamans back Obama

A Peruvian shaman holds a photo of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., during a ritual Wednesday in Lima.  (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press

LIMA, Peru – Barack Obama apparently can count on the support of a majority of Peruvian faith healers.

Each of the 11 shamans in a Peruvian faith-healing organization said Wednesday that they have foreseen victory in the U.S. presidential race: nine for Democrat Obama and two for his Republican rival John McCain.

Blowing incense over a sacred llama fetus perched on a bed of coca leaves next to posters of the candidates, the shamans shook rattles, chanted “up, Obama, up!” and threw flowers at their images.

Mary Gomez, a healer from the city of Chiclayo, said she has seen that Obama “will win and he will change history … he is going to help all the Latinos living in the United States.”

The shamans whistled, chanted and rubbed both posters with Andean spirit-totems, crucifixes, a statue of a dark-skinned Jesus and other idols to scare away bad spirits and negative energies they said might prevent a fair and democratic election.

“We are cleansing both of them so that on Nov. 4 the person that the U.S. really deserves wins,” said Juan Osco, president of the Apus-Inka healers association.