The five-episode series that will arrive in Mexico is backed by a year and a half of research
Sergio Meza lived his entire life as a member of the Church The Light of the World, but when he decided to abandon her, he lived the repudiation of his family; Moisés Padilla was kidnapped, tortured and tried to assassinate him when he denounced the abuses that are experienced in this sect; Elisa Flores witnessed various violations against minors; These are some testimonies of victims of this cult who break the silence and put before the viewer the horrors of lived.
"Violence towards people who belonged to the Church The Light of the World becomes a culture that is almost 100 years old, a culture of sexual, emotional, psychological, spiritual abuse, in every possible way that a human being could be violated; This begins with the leader and the bishops, they repeat these abuses and it becomes a culture of silence, the woman is first sexualized and then raped, this is organized crime, "said Sochil Martin, who along with her husband Sharim Guzmán, were the first to denounce Naasón Joaquín García, leader of this sect, before the authorities of the United States for various crimes, such as sexual abuse.
These and other stories are part of the new A&E Real series called "Secrets of the Apostle of Evil", and that will be released on June 4 in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Chile. Through five episodes a tour of the history of this sect will be made, since its foundation in 1926 with Eusebio Joaquín González in Guadalajara, Jalisco, until the arrest of his grandson and current leader Naason Joaquín García, who in 2022 was sentenced in the United States to 16 years in prison for sexual abuse of minors.
Voice to witnesses
Carmen Larios, senior VP of A&E Latin America content, explained that this new docuserie belongs to the Secretos collection, of which titles such as "Secrets: The Chippendales murders "and" Playboy Secrets "; for which they had a year and a half investigation and interview job with those involved in that case.
"What he tries to do is give voice to the witnesses who are the protagonists of this story, but also to have a journalistic angle a news story that perhaps our public has heard through news in a brief or shallow way, here there will be witnesses, experts and people related to this topic, "said Larios.
Incredible as this event may seem, Carmen Larios pointed out that this is a real case that has been going on for almost 100 years, with a religious leader and his descendants, who has convinced people that he is God Himself on Earth, giving rise to a case of manipulation, violence, fraud and even child abuse. The investigation was carried out in California, Texas, Arizona, Utah, North Carolina, Mexico City and Guadalajara, where the testimony of 25 survivors of this sect was collected, who bravely talked about what some lived from childhood, like labor exploitation or indoctrination and what is hidden behind this cult.
"We are very grateful to all who narrate their testimony, who were victims and who can tell first hand for A&E about what they had to face in order for this person, leader or head of your church will come to trial in the United States; this is the important thing, that transcends the borders of this story and what we hope is that these types of stories do not happen again, that with journalistic rigor it is known how this case happened", Carmen Larios pointed out.