Blood on the Jungle: How a New Light Sect Turned A Community Into a Murder Scene
When you hear that a religious group turns into a massacre, it’s not your everyday Sunday sermon. In Panama’s green‑tangled outskirts, seven souls met a brutal end during a twisted ritual that left the Ngabe Bugle community scarred.
Who Got Involved?
- 7 deceased — including 5 children as young as one year old, a pregnant mother, and a teenage girl.
- 14 survivors who were freed from chains at the remote Ngabe Bugle village.
- About 10 “preachers” from a recently formed sect called The New Light of God.
- Local police, led by prosecutor Rafael Baloyes, and village residents who escaped.
The Dark Ritual
Investigators describe a scene straight out of a horror movie: a makeshift church in a ranch, where the group held people captive. Physical torture, beatings with wooden cudgels and Bibles, and knife‑sawing all served the goal — to force repentance or exhaust the lives.
- Weapons like machetes and knives were on display.
- There was even a ritual goat sacrifice.
- A naked woman was found inside the building — a detail that made investigators gasp.
Grave Finds
Just two kilometers away, police discovered a freshly dug grave. Inside were the lifeless bodies of the victims; the men buried the family out in the open sect ceremony.
Community Fallout
The Ngabe Bugle, Panama’s largest indigenous group, faces poverty and illiteracy. This attack has hit them hard. Community leader Ricardo Miranda slammed the sect as satanic and called for its immediate eradication.
Rumors say the sect emerged about three months ago. A member had a “vision” last Saturday, claiming God had a message: repent or die. That chilling message triggered the tragedy.
The facts remain murky as to what precise affiliations the The New Light of God holds. The established Evangelical group Luz del Mundo clarified it has no ties to the case.
Aftermath
The village’s remoteness meant they had to rely on helicopters for evacuation — transporting 2 pregnant women and several children to hospitals for treatment.
In short, a new religious group turned a quiet jungle community into a nightmare — with a horrific blend of violence, fanaticism, and a splash of supernatural horror.
