ESPIRITISMO VENEZOLANO

SANTOS POCO INOCENTES

En Venezuela no gobierna Nicolás Maduro. En verdad, quien domina es María Lionza, una diosa montada sobre un tapir y con la ayuda de unos amigos: una serie de deidades. Lo curioso es que se trata de un panteón de jóvenes delincuentes que fueron asesinados en los años 70, pero cuya notoriedad recién cobró vigencia en la década del 90. Una visita al mundo de la santería venezolana, donde estos particulares santos del crimen son alabados en los barrios más peligrosos de Caracas. Entretanto, las almas en pena esperan pagar sus crímenes y ganarse el cielo ayudando a los desposeídos.

CRÓNICAS

ESPIRITISMO VENEZOLANO

SANTOS POCO INOCENTES

En Venezuela no gobierna Nicolás Maduro. En verdad, quien domina es María Lionza, una diosa montada sobre un tapir y con la ayuda de unos amigos: una serie de deidades. Lo curioso es que se trata de un panteón de jóvenes delincuentes que fueron asesinados en los años 70, pero cuya notoriedad recién cobró vigencia en la década del 90. Una visita al mundo de la santería venezolana, donde estos particulares santos del crimen son alabados en los barrios más peligrosos de Caracas. Entretanto, las almas en pena esperan pagar sus crímenes y ganarse el cielo ayudando a los desposeídos.

El realismo mágico en Venezuela es verdad kantiana. Todavía no sabía que lo sobrenatural matiza el diario discurrir venezolano, cuando al chofer del taxi le pregunté por su filiación política y respondió: “Sólo confío en María Lionza y en la corte”. Recién llegado, creí que confiaba en una estrella política en ascenso y en la supervisión de la Corte Suprema de Justicia. Como otros periodistas extranjeros, me enfrentaba a la dificultad de leer –sin traductores pertinentes– esta realidad volcánica, sulfatada, o mejor dicho, empetrolada. Lejos estaba de comprender que el taxista, Rafael, dejaría de ser un mero chofer para emular al Virgilio que guió al Dante en su incursión al infierno, y permitirme descubrir los ritos de la santería vernácula. Más tarde caería en la cuenta de mi error. Al igual que muchos otros conductores, sacó su mano por la ventanilla para saludar a una imponente estatua que irrumpía ante la autopista. “Ella es María Lionza”, y señaló a una mujer montada en un fabuloso tapir exhibiendo sus pechos generosos y con rasgos levemente aindiados. “Hacia el cielo, María eleva sus brazos con los huesos de una pelvis humana, signo de la fertilidad. Y sus pies aplastan a unas serpientes, que son la envidia y el egoísmo”, explicó con tono didáctico, Rafael, dueño de un rostro zambo –mitad negro, mitad nativo– y una sonrisa hermética. Supe entonces que María Lionza es la máxima figura del espiritismo local, en un lugar en donde las creencias religiosas y prácticas sincréticas son tan complejas como su proceso político, y tan ricas como su suelo. Asimismo, la corte mencionada no era el tribunal superior sino un panteón de criminales muertos que, desde el más allá, protegen a sus devotos de las injusticias terrenales.

Más de veinte leyendas dan cuenta de los poderes divinos de María Lionza, bella hija de un famoso cacique, cuyos ojos verdes dan testimonio de su sangre española. Ella es, para sus numerosos cultores, madre del Universo y protectora de la naturaleza, e integra una especie de Santísima Trinidad autóctona junto al Negro Felipe –único oficial de origen africano del Ejército de Simón Bolívar– y al Cacique Guaicaipuro, un jefe de la tribu Caribe que luchó contra el imperio español. Símbolo de la unión de razas, ellos componen las “Tres Potencias” que gobiernan un amplio cielo de deidades, divididas y ordenadas jerárquicamente en “Cortes”. Para explicarlo con términos mercadotécnicos, se podría decir que cada corte nuclea espíritus afines y, aunque todas son “subsidiarias” de la gran Lionza, cada una está orientada a un “segmento espiritual” específico. Por ejemplo, existe la Corte Médica, integrada por galenos prestigiosos a los cuales se les atribuyeron –tras su muerte– milagrosas curaciones; hoy son demandados por aquellos con graves enfermedades. A su vez, existe la Corte Libertadora, integrada por Bolívar, Francisco de Miranda y el Mariscal Sucre, invocados para dar solución a los problemas nacionales. Sin contradicciones aparentes, existe también la Corte Celestial, conformada por santos católicos como San Expedito y Santa Bárbara. En la misma sintonía, se encuentra la Corte Malandra, integrada por una serie de finados de los cuales puede decirse cualquier cosa, menos que han transitado el pedregoso camino hacia la santidad. Sus seguidores tampoco son niños de pecho.

LA CORTE MALANDRA

“Es la Corte a la que más respeto le tengo. Fueron chamos (muchachos) como yo lo he sido. A fuego vivieron y a fuego murieron. Por eso ayudan a quienes quieren librarse de la mala vida”, contó el taxista. Luego me mostró una serie de estampitas con las principales imágenes del panteón criminal: todos están representados con cuchillos, revólveres, botellas de ron y cigarrillos rellenos con vaya uno a saber qué hierba. Tienen lentes negros y gorras de béisbol, como los jóvenes de los barrios pobres de Caracas. Entre ellos sobresale Tomasito, un novel ladronzuelo, que fue abandonado por sus cómplices mientras robaban un banco ante la llegada de la policía. “El pobrecito fue acribillado por 132 disparos, sin contar las balas que pasaron por el mismo hueco”, acotó Rafael, que también guarda la estampita de Isabelita, quien nació en una familia adinerada y a los 12 años fue violada. Ya mayor, se casó con un hombre negro que terminó seduciendo a una amiga suya. Por esa traición, a su estatuilla –que no puede estar en un altar junto a algún santo negro– se le reza para vengarse de todos los maridos infieles. Sin embargo, el líder del panteón –y quien genera mayor devoción– es el Malandro Ismael, joven que murió apuñalado en una pelea. “Invocado por brujos, él mismo ha contado que era un buen hombre: defendía su territorio de otros ladrones y repartía lo robado entre los más necesitados. Varias veces amordazó a los dueños de abastos y supermercados mientras los pobres saqueaban el comercio”, rio el chofer de dientes brillantes. No es casualidad que se valore la supuesta colaboración de Ismael en atracos, ya que este culto se masificó en los años ´90. Más precisamente después de El Caracazo, revuelta popular contra el gobierno de Carlos Andrés Pérez. Con miles de muertos en su haber, muchos la consideran la primera expresión latinoamericana contra el neoliberalismo, y antecedente influyente en la llegada posterior de Hugo Chávez al poder. Algunos piensan que estas figuras permiten a sus devotos creer que pueden escapar de la marginación social.

LA SANTERA

“Con gusto, pana (amigo), lo llevo donde están las autoridades en la materia”, dijo el conductor y por la misma autopista Fajardo orientó su auto hacia el este de Caracas para ingresar al poblado de Petare, donde –según un comisario– “hasta en las familias más honestas hay uno o dos malandros (malhechores)”. El experimentado periodista José Roberto Duque aseguró que un 38% de los integrantes de la fuerza policial residían allí. Algunas calles empedradas conservan su encanto colonial y otras, más empinadas, ascienden a un cerro cubierto de casas precarias. “En la época de lluvias se desmorona la ladera y mucha gente termina sepultada”, lamentó el chofer antes de avisar que “donde quedan pocas personas enterradas es en el cementerio local”. Tras sortear un laberinto de escaleras y callejuelas se arriba al callejón Eduvigis, mejor conocido como “la calle de los brujos”, sitio de encuentro entre devotos y médiums. En la primera santería nos recibió –con demasiada hospitalidad– una dama de ojos inmensos con un gran colgante de hojalata en el pecho, que afirmaba conocer nuestro futuro. Pero, aparentemente, no había logrado predecir el motivo de la visita. Por ende, se puso furiosa al mínimo pedido de información sobre los santos del delito. “No queremos saber nada con periodistas y menos con la Corte Malandra que usa una energía muy baja”, acusó la pitonisa. A pocos metros, Maracay, una mujer de labios gruesos y piel cetrina –que parecía salida de un film de bucaneros– nos abrió su puerta y un vaho de incienso, velas y olores indescifrables nos aderezó los pulmones. Aceptó hablar a cambio de unos bolos, apócope de Bolívares, la moneda local. “El culto se inicia a fines de los ´70 con el descenso de Ismael, un delincuente. No creo que haya sido un Robin Hood, eso dicen los devotos para que los que no creen les tengan consideración y no se burlen”, detalló pausadamente. “Sin el poder de diosito, ninguno podría aparecerse”, dijo y coincidió con la otra médium al señalar que el Dios cristiano y sus santos tienen la superioridad lumínica y energética. “Los espíritus malandros necesitan 10 años para incorporarse a un cuerpo luego de muertos. El que los recibe se llama ´materia´ y se pone a bailar; ríe o bebe y eructa”, confesó. Cada médium asegura recibir a uno o varios entes en sus consultorios. Cuando más famoso es el bandido, más cobran por sus servicios y son muchos los que dicen recibir a los más populares. Uno llamado Romero suele aparecerse ante Maracay –muy puntualmente– los lunes, miércoles, viernes y los sábados (sólo de mañana). Aunque Romerito no es muy conocido, ella confía que pronto su fama crecerá pues, como murió de alcoholismo, ayuda a abandonar ese vicio. Orgullosa, aseveró que no todas las personas pueden imitar su arte, ya que es muy difícil manipular a estos seres. Por ejemplo, no se puede convocar a más de un espíritu al mismo tiempo. “Una vez bajaron dos que eran enemigos y se pelearon”. Sin pudores, ella explicó que “la necesidad de que bajen es de los seres terrenales. Pero la Corte gana puntos con cada ayuda y su ventaja es que conocen el ambiente del delito. Para pagar por sus crímenes cometidos en vida ayudan a los presos, ayudan a librarse de las drogas, a curar heridas, a salvarse en los tiroteos. También evitan ser asaltados, consiguen empleo, permiten evolucionar y crecer”. Por último, dejó entrever su llamativa postura moral: “Creo que todos necesitamos una segunda oportunidad, ya sea en vida o después de muertos.” Una diferencia apreciable entre María Lionza y la Corte Malandra es que a la primera se le pagan las promesas con bailes de candela –en los cuales los creyentes caminan sobre brasas ardientes–, mientras que las deudas con los facinerosos se saldan ofreciendo un cirio de siete colores, un cigarrillo, un vaso de anís, ron o caña y temas de salsa brava. Suelen alegrarse al escuchar el hit del Sexteto Juventud, La cárcel, que describe las penas del mundo delictivo y dice “cuánto se desea la bonita libertad”. En ciertos casos, algunas ánimas han llegado a solicitar marihuana, armas blancas o balas, que deben dejarse en el altar. Asimismo, a la diosa también puede alabársela con una peregrinación hasta la cueva ubicada en la montaña de Sorte, en el estado de Yaracuy, donde vivió. O entonando la canción, escrita por el panameño Rubén Blades, que reza: “María Lionza hazme un milagrito y un ramo de flores te voy a llevar”.

DE LADRON A TAXISTA

Caminaba por las calles y en cada esquina encontraba a un amigo. Rafael ya supera los treinta, pero alguna vez fue un mozuelo, similar a tantos otros integrantes de la Corte en el Petare. Caracas lo invitaba a vivir en la pobreza, donde el delito seducía mucho más que los eximios salarios que ofrecían los escasos emprendimientos industriales existentes en la Venezuela Saudita, reino exclusivo de la renta petrolera. Así fue como aprendió un método delictivo que hoy causa risa: junto con dos cómplices se paraba con una caja en un cruce con semáforos y esperaba que un auto conducido por una mujer con las ventanillas bajas se detuviera ante la luz roja. Gracias al alto porcentaje de coches per cápita y al asfixiante calor tropical, rápidamente encontraban a su víctima. Entonces de la caja sacaban una rata –“cuanto más fea, mejor”– y se la arrojaban dentro del móvil. Entre gritos de histeria y pánico, las mujeres siempre bajaban corriendo y ellos aprovechaban para subirse, sentarse al volante y huir. “Si nos apresaba la policía, sabíamos que el juez nos daría una pena leve por carecer de armas. Después lo vendíamos y nos íbamos a beber ron a la playa. Hubiera seguido siendo así toda la vida. Pero una vez robamos a la hermana de un pez gordo que vendía ´perica` (cocaína), y nos pescó. Nos molió a golpes y casi me quiebra la columna vertebral. Eso fue un 12 de octubre, día de María Lionza, y mi santa madre comenzó a rezarle”. Pese a los diagnósticos adversos, su columna no se resintió y en poco tiempo Rafael estaba otra vez en las calles y con malas compañías, para sufrimiento de su madre. Caracas le brindaba, siempre generosa, tres opciones: beber caña hasta conseguir una cirrosis; sombrear su rostro en la cárcel o morir atravesado por el acero del puñal criminal o el plomo policial. “Como mi madre estaba muy preocupada, fue a una santera que le recomendó poner unas velas rojas a Johnny”. Según parece, es el más calmo de los integrantes de la Corte y el más cumplidor a la hora de rescatar a los más jóvenes de la carrera en el mundo del hampa. En poco tiempo, Rafael se fue calmando, dejó de vivir besando botellas y un amigo le presentó a una mulata canela de ojos penetrantes. Luego, el padre de ella le consiguió un empleo detrás del volante. “Entonces comencé a prenderle velas a la Corte. Por temor a que suba al taxi algún ladronzuelo y me robe. ¿Dónde está la moralidad?”, se pregunta el ex delincuente.

CAMPOS NON SANCTOS

Hombre de fe, Rafael aprovechó el paso obligado por el cementerio de Petare para visitar a un familiar que murió en una manifestación semanas atrás. Es habitual: cuando chavistas y antichavistas salen a las calles, los muertos se cuentan por decenas. Como ecos lejanos del Caracazo, todos los venezolanos tienen una explicación para cada hecho; y cada teoría se torna barroca, ambigua. Que fueron unos, que fueron otros. Que fue un autoatentado. Que la policía política –la temible Disip– obedece a la oposición, y quieren ridiculizar al Gobierno. Que los guardias sólo están entrenados para darle coñazos (golpes) al pobre y, con o sin Maduro, se los dan igual. “Igual se merecen que los maten a todos, por salvajes e ignorantes”, argumentan los más desdeñosos. Pero si mal viven sobre la faz de la tierra, peor lo hacen los que yacen bajo de ella, porque el cementerio luce en estado de abandono: hierbas crecidas, lápidas rotas y sepulcros abiertos componen un escenario dantesco. “Son los brujos que vienen a sacar huesos para hacer amuletos; de ese modo repelen a los demonios y a la misma muerte”, balbuceó Rafael. Para usar amuletos sobran motivos y balas. Es habitual que alguien en problemas mande a “arreglar” un cordón que se ata a la cintura y permite obtener buena suerte mientras así dure. Cuando se corta, el “trabajo” pierde vigencia y el sujeto debe acudir a su brujo de cabecera para adquirir otro “preparado”. Existe una opción más cara y más efectiva: implantarse bajo la piel dos balas en forma de cruz. La protección durará por siempre, salvo que las incrustaciones –gracias a pésimas condiciones de asepsia– infecten la carne del creyente. Sin embargo, los amuletos premium, los más deseados y caros, son aquellos confeccionados con huesos de los muertos. “Por unos billetes, los sepultureros dejan entrar a los brujos para que saquen la masa encefálica de los delincuentes muertos y hagan amuletos indestructibles”, confirió el guía. Las tumbas abiertas indican que Rafael no fabulaba. Si uno tiene oídos atentos, podrá escuchar que alguien acusa a otro de tener algún objeto “ensalmado”; es decir, que se hizo construir un amuleto recitando una serie de salmos o conjuros que le adjudicaron poderes extraordinarios. Hasta el mismísimo Chávez tendría un escapulario que perteneció a su bisabuelo materno, el Maisanta, caudillo popular que enfrentó al férreo dictador Vicente Gómez. “Dicen que ése es el talismán que lo salvó de la muerte en 2002, durante el golpe de estado”, repiten aquellos que quieren por igual al ex mandatario y a María Lionza. “Chávez estaba loco, pero no comía mierda. Sabía protegerse”, dedujo el taxista mientras la radio informaba que marchas opositoras y oficialistas ganarían, otra vez, las calles de Caracas. El tráfico se complicaba y los nervios crecían. Los policías, irritables, llevaban la mano a la cintura con cada bocinazo. El calor tropical preanunciaba algo. “Espero que esta vez la vida de ningún venezolano penda de un cordón arreglado”, suspiró Rafael. Las bullas y los tambores repercutían en toda la ciudad.

 

 

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You agree that such Service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and that your use of the Services is solely at your own risk. We expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. We make no warranty that the Services will meet your requirements, or that the Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free; nor do we make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from the use of the Service or as to the accuracy or reliability of any information obtained through the Service or that defects in the Service will be corrected. You understand and agree that any material and/or data downloaded or otherwise obtained through the use of Service is done at your own discretion and risk and that you will be solely responsible for any damage or loss of data that results from the download of such material and/or data. We make no warranty regarding any goods or services purchased or obtained through the Service or any transactions entered into through the Service unless stated otherwise. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by you from us or through the Service shall create any warranty not expressly made herein.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in no event will ALMA MAGAZINE, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, suppliers or licensors be liable to any person for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, cover or consequential damages (including, without limitation, damages for lost profits, revenue, sales, goodwill, use of content, impact on business, business interruption, loss of anticipated savings, loss of business opportunity) however caused, under any theory of liability, including, without limitation, contract, tort, warranty, breach of statutory duty, negligence or otherwise, even if the liable party has been advised as to the possibility of such damages or could have foreseen such damages. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the aggregate liability of ALMA MAGAZINE and its affiliates, officers, employees, agents, suppliers and licensors relating to the services will be limited to an amount no greater than one dollar or any amounts actually paid in cash by you to ALMA MAGAZINE for the prior one-month period prior to the first event or occurrence giving rise to such liability. The limitations and exclusions also apply if this remedy does not fully compensate you for any losses or fails of its essential purpose.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold ALMA MAGAZINE and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, suppliers and licensors harmless from and against any liabilities, losses, damages or costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred in connection with or arising from any third-party allegations, claims, actions, disputes, or demands asserted against any of them as a result of or relating to your Content, your use of the Services or any willful misconduct on your part.

Severability

All rights and restrictions contained in this Agreement may be exercised and shall be applicable and binding only to the extent that they do not violate any applicable laws and are intended to be limited to the extent necessary so that they will not render this Agreement illegal, invalid or unenforceable. If any provision or portion of any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, it is the intention of the parties that the remaining provisions or portions thereof shall constitute their agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof, and all such remaining provisions or portions thereof shall remain in full force and effect.

Dispute resolution

The formation, interpretation, and performance of this Agreement and any disputes arising out of it shall be governed by the substantive and procedural laws of Florida, United States without regard to its rules on conflicts or choice of law and, to the extent applicable, the laws of United States. The exclusive jurisdiction and venue for actions related to the subject matter hereof shall be the courts located in Florida, United States, and you hereby submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts. You hereby waive any right to a jury trial in any proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply to this Agreement.

Assignment

You may not assign, resell, sub-license or otherwise transfer or delegate any of your rights or obligations hereunder, in whole or in part, without our prior written consent, which consent shall be at our own sole discretion and without obligation; any such assignment or transfer shall be null and void. We are free to assign any of its rights or obligations hereunder, in whole or in part, to any third party as part of the sale of all or substantially all of its assets or stock or as part of a merger.

Changes and amendments

We reserve the right to modify this Agreement or its terms related to the Services at any time at our discretion. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page, post a notification within the Services, send you an email to notify you. We may also provide notice to you in other ways at our discretion, such as through the contact information you have provided. An updated version of this Agreement will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Agreement unless otherwise specified. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of the revised Agreement (or such other act specified at that time) will constitute your consent to those changes.

Acceptance of these terms

You acknowledge that you have read this Agreement and agree to all its terms and conditions. By accessing and using the Services you agree to be bound by this Agreement. If you do not agree to abide by the terms of this Agreement, you are not authorized to access or use the Services.

Contacting us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Agreement, we encourage you to contact us using the details below:

info@ALMAMAGAZINE.com

This document was last updated on November 12, 2021

Disclaimer

This disclaimer (“Disclaimer”) sets forth the general guidelines, disclosures, and terms of your use of the BoatsGuideFlorida.com website (“Website”), “ALMA MAGAZINE” mobile application (“Mobile Application”) and any of their related products and services (collectively, “Services”). This Disclaimer is a legally binding agreement between you (“User”, “you” or “your”) and GHIDS MEDIA CORP (doing business as “ALMA MAGAZINE”, “we”, “us” or “our”). If you are entering into this agreement on behalf of a business or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind such entity to this agreement, in which case the terms “User”, “you” or “your” shall refer to such entity. If you do not have such authority, or if you do not agree with the terms of this agreement, you must not accept this agreement and may not access and use the Services. By accessing and using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the terms of this Disclaimer. You acknowledge that this Disclaimer is a contract between you and ALMA MAGAZINE, even though it is electronic and is not physically signed by you, and it governs your use of the Services.

Representation

Any views or opinions represented on the Services are personal and belong solely to ALMA MAGAZINE and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that ALMA MAGAZINE may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.

Content and postings

You may not modify, print or copy any part of the Services. Inclusion of any part of the Services in another work, whether in printed or electronic or another form or inclusion of any part of the Services on another resource by embedding, framing or otherwise without the express permission of ALMA MAGAZINE is prohibited.

Compensation and sponsorship

The Services may contain forms of advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. On certain occasions ALMA MAGAZINE may be compensated to provide opinions on products, services, or various other topics. The compensation received may influence such opinions of the advertised content or topics available on the Services. Sponsored content and advertising space will always be identified as such. Some of the links on the Services may be affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, ALMA MAGAZINE will receive an affiliate commission.

Indemnification and warranties

While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained on the Services is correct, ALMA MAGAZINE is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information on the Services is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied. In no event will ALMA MAGAZINE be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information on the Services, or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Information on the Services is for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide any type of professional advice. Please seek professional assistance should you require it. Information contained on the Services are subject to change at any time and without warning.

Changes and amendments

We reserve the right to modify this Disclaimer or its terms related to the Services at any time at our discretion. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page, post a notification within the Services, send you an email to notify you. We may also provide notice to you in other ways at our discretion, such as through the contact information you have provided. An updated version of this Disclaimer will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Disclaimer unless otherwise specified. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of the revised Disclaimer (or such other act specified at that time) will constitute your consent to those changes.

Acceptance of this disclaimer

You acknowledge that you have read this Disclaimer and agree to all its terms and conditions. By accessing and using the Services you agree to be bound by this Disclaimer. If you do not agree to abide by the terms of this Disclaimer, you are not authorized to access or use the Services.

Contacting us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Disclaimer, we encourage you to contact us using the details below:

[email protected]

This document was last updated on March 12, 2022

Privacy Policy
This policy was last updated on March 21, 2022.
Introduction
This Privacy Policy applies to all of the products, services, and websites offered by Ghids Media Corporation and its subsidiaries or affiliated companies (collectively, “Ghids Media”). We provide this notice explaining our privacy practices and the choices you can make about how your information is collected and used by Ghids Media Corporation. Ghids Media has appointed a Data Protection Office to contact if you have any questions or concerns. The Data Protection Office contact information is as follows: Data Protection Office  Ghids Media Corporation  11007 Griffing Blvd. Miami, FL33161  [email protected]
An overview of the information we may collect.
You can take advantage of many Bonnier products, services, and websites without providing any information that personally identifies you by name, address, or other personally-identifying information. We only collect personally-identifying information when you voluntarily submit it to us. Sometimes, we need personally-identifying information to provide you with the products and services you request. Depending upon the product or service, we may ask you for various personally-identifying information. This might include, for example, your name, address, email address, telephone number, gender, and birth date. We may also ask for other information about you, such as your credit card information (when making a purchase), interests, income, or education level. We consider certain identifying information “sensitive.” This includes your credit card number, income level, or other information usually regarded as confidential. Some personal information will never be requested or collected, such as information on your race or ethnic origin, political opinions, trade union memberships, religious beliefs, health, sex life, or sexual orientation. You may choose not to provide us with any personally-identifying information. In that case, you can still access and use many portions of our websites; however, you will not be able to access and use those portions of any Bonnier website that require your personal information. Many Ghids Media websites include community features, such as online forums and message boards. The information posted in these areas becomes public information, and any third party’s use of this information is beyond our control. If you elect to submit content that includes information that can be used to identify you, you must assume that the content can and will be displayed on any website on the Internet. Our properties may feature measurement software, which will allow you to contribute to market research. We allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain information when you visit our website and directly in emails/communications. These companies may use information you have shared (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over, email address) during your visits to this and other Web sites to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. Our partners use this information to recognize you across different channels and platforms over time for advertising, analytics, attribution, and reporting purposes; any information collected is stored in hashed or non-human-readable form. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. Ghids Media websites sometimes may offer contests, sweepstakes, or promotions sponsored by or co-sponsored with identified third parties. Under their sponsorship, these third parties may obtain personally-identifying information that visitors voluntarily submit to them to participate in the contest, sweepstakes, or promotion. B Ghids Media has no control over the third-party sponsors’ use of this information. If a third-party sponsor beyond our control will obtain information that you supply us, we will notify you when we collect the information from you. For specific promotions, only those who provide us with the requested personally-identifying information will be able to order products, programs, and services or otherwise participate in the promotion’s activities and offerings. Some of our websites contain links to other sites. By clicking on these links, you will leave the website operated by Ghids Media and this Privacy Policy will no longer apply. These other sites’ information practices may be different than ours. You should consult the other sites’ privacy notices, as we have no control over information submitted to or collected by these third parties.
How we use the information we collect
We use the personally-identifying information you provide us to fulfill your requests for our products, programs, and services, respond to your inquiries about offerings, and offer you other products, programs, or services that we believe may be of interest to you. We sometimes use this information to communicate with you, such as to notify you when you have won one of our contests, make changes to subscriber agreements, fulfill a request by you for an online newsletter, or contact you about your account with us. We do not use your personal information to make automated decisions. We may syndicate the publicly available content of our community areas to unaffiliated third-party websites using RSS or other technologies. The information you have shared in the community areas may be included in this syndication. We will use the personally-identifying information that you provide about others in order to provide the products or services that you have requested; for example, to enable us to send them your gifts or cards. If you provide us someone else’s personally-identifying information for referral purposes, we may use that information to invite them to visit our websites or to provide them information about our products or services. If you provide us with your email and/or postal address, we may include that address in email and/or postal address lists that we sell, trade, or rent to third parties. These lists will never contain sensitive information. If you do not wish for your email or postal address to be shared with companies not owned by Bonnier who want to market products or services to you, you have the opportunity to opt out, as described below. You may also opt out of the receipt of any marketing materials from Ghids Media as described below. We may transfer your sensitive personally-identifying information to other Bonnier offices for internal management and administrative purposes. In addition, your personal data will be transferred to other Bonnier offices where necessary for the performance or conclusion of our contractual obligations to you or for your benefit. Transfers of personally-identifying information may also be made where necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims. We do not transfer personal information internationally. Ghids Media will only share your sensitive personal information with outside companies or individuals in any of the following limited circumstances:
  • When we use trusted businesses or persons to process personal information on our behalf. Before sharing any personal information with outside parties, we require that these parties agree to process such information based on our instructions and in compliance with this Privacy Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
  • When we have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation, or disclosure is necessary to:
  1. comply with applicable law, regulation, or legal process;
  2. enforce the applicable Terms of Service or other agreements and policies on the Company’s Websites;
  3. detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues; or
  4. protect against imminent harm to the rights, property, or safety or Ghids Media, its users, or the public as required or permitted by law.
  • When you consent. Before we share your sensitive personal information outside of the previously listed circumstances, we will ask you for permission first. Please note that this only applies to sensitive information, as defined above.
We may also use, transfer, sell, and share aggregated, anonymous data about our users for any legal purpose, such as analyzing usage trends and seeking compatible advertisers and partners. In no event will this aggregated data contain any information that could be used to identify individual users of our products or services.
How we protect the safety and integrity of the information we collect
We take appropriate physical, electronic, and procedural measures to safeguard and protect your personal information. We use a variety of security measures, including encryption and authentication, to maintain the confidentiality of your personal information. We store your personal information on systems behind firewalls that are only accessible to a limited number of persons, each of whom is required to keep the information confidential. We also take appropriate measures to secure the transmission of sensitive personal information from your computer to the Company’s computers. When you transmit sensitive personal information to us, like credit card information, we offer the use of a secure connection to our servers. To the extent you select the secure connection method or your browser supports such functionality, all credit card account information that you supply is transmitted via secure encryption technology. Regardless of these measures, no system connected to the Internet or data transmission sent over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. We will provide notice if we become aware of any security breach that may affect any sensitive personal information pertaining to you that we have stored on our systems. Ghids Media only collects personal information that is relevant to the purposes for which it will be used. Though we do take appropriate steps to review and update the information that we store to ensure that it is accurate, complete, and current, we also depend on you to update or correct your personal information when necessary. To protect your privacy and security, we will take reasonable steps to help verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. We will decline to process requests where we cannot verify the identity of the requester. We may also decline to process requests that are automated, repetitive, systematic, or impractical, or that might jeopardize the privacy of others. In some limited circumstances, such as to resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, and enforce our policies, we may retain some of information that you have requested us to remove. Therefore, you should not expect that all of your personal information will be completely removed from our databases in response to your requests.
Your privacy options
We do not share your email address with any third-party, unless you have given us the explicit permission to do so. Email messages we send on behalf of our advertisers or other Bonnier brands are delivered from our internal email marketing system only. We may also use an encrypted form of your email address strictly for matching purposes, both internally and externally. We only want to communicate with you if you want to hear from us. All email messages we send will contain Unsubscribe and Manage Preferences links in the footer of each email, which you can use to control what type of email messages you receive. In order to provide you with all relevant content for our brand(s) with which you have interest and to give you the greatest degree of control over what type of messages you receive, your email address may exist on multiple lists. Taking action using the Unsubscribe link will suppress you from a single list for that type of content (ex: Editorial, Sponsored or Consumer Marketing). For this reason, if you want to stop receiving all email messages from a Bonnier brand, using the Manage Preferences link from the email footer may be a more appropriate option. You may also use the Manage Preferences link to receive other content types, update your personal information or sign up for emails from other Ghids Media brands.
Questions, Concerns, and Complaints
If you have any questions or concerns about this Policy, or if you think that we have used your personal information in a manner inconsistent with this Policy, please contact us by mail or email: Data Protection Office Ghids Media Corporation 11007 Griffing Blvd. Miami, FL33161 [email protected] If we receive a complaint from you, we will contact you in an attempt to address your concerns. If we are not able to resolve a complaint, we will participate in appropriate independent recourse mechanisms as necessary. Boats Guide Florida, Usa Onboard, Alma Magazine, Alma Miami and Ghids are Trademarks of Ghids Media Corp.

GHIDS MEDIA CORP & USA ONBOARD

Website And Web Application
Terms and conditions

USA ONBOARD is a media owned by GHIDS MEDIA CORP.

These terms and conditions (“Agreement”) set forth the general terms and conditions of your use of the BoatsGuideFlorida.com website (“Website”), “BOATS GUIDE FLORIDA” mobile application (“Mobile Application”), UsaOnboard.com website (“Website”), and any of their related products and services (collectively, “Services”). This Agreement is legally binding between you (“User”, “you” or “your”) and GHIDS MEDIA CORP (doing business as “BOATS GUIDE FLORIDA”, USA ONBOARD, “we”, “us” or “our”). If you are entering into this agreement on behalf of a business or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind such entity to this agreement, in which case the terms “User”, “you” or “your” shall refer to such entity. If you do not have such authority, or if you do not agree with the terms of this agreement, you must not accept this agreement and may not access and use the Services. By accessing and using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge that this Agreement is a contract between you and BOATS GUIDE FLORIDA & USA ONBOARD even though it is electronic and is not physically signed by you, and it governs your use of the Services.

Accounts and membership

If you create an account on the Services, you are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and you are fully responsible for all activities that occur under the account and any other actions taken in connection with it. We may monitor and review new accounts before you may sign in and start using the Services. Providing false contact information of any kind may result in the termination of your account. You must immediately notify us of any unauthorized uses of your account or any other breaches of security. We will not be liable for any acts or omissions by you, including any damages of any kind incurred as a result of such acts or omissions. We may suspend, disable, or delete your account (or any part thereof) if we determine that you have violated any provision of this Agreement or that your conduct or content would tend to damage our reputation and goodwill. If we delete your account for the foregoing reasons, you may not re-register for our Services. We may block your email address and Internet protocol address to prevent further registration.

User content

We do not own any data, information or material (collectively, “Content”) that you submit on the Services in the course of using the Service. You shall have sole responsibility for the accuracy, quality, integrity, legality, reliability, appropriateness, and intellectual property ownership or right to use of all submitted Content. We may monitor and review the Content on the Services submitted or created using our Services by you. You grant us permission to access, copy, distribute, store, transmit, reformat, display and perform the Content of your user account solely as required for the purpose of providing the Services to you. Without limiting any of those representations or warranties, we have the right, though not the obligation, to, in our own sole discretion, refuse or remove any Content that, in our reasonable opinion, violates any of our policies or is in any way harmful or objectionable. You also grant us the license to use, reproduce, adapt, modify, publish or distribute the Content created by you or stored in your user account for commercial, marketing or any similar purpose.

Billing and payments

You shall pay all fees or charges to your account in accordance with the fees, charges, and billing terms in effect at the time a fee or charge is due and payable. Where Services are offered on a free trial basis, payment may be required after the free trial period ends, and not when you enter your billing details (which may be required prior to the commencement of the free trial period). If auto-renewal is enabled for the Services you have subscribed for, you will be charged automatically in accordance with the term you selected. If, in our judgment, your purchase constitutes a high-risk transaction, we will require you to provide us with a copy of your valid government-issued photo identification, and possibly a copy of a recent bank statement for the credit or debit card used for the purchase. We reserve the right to change products at any time. We also reserve the right to refuse any order you place with us. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same credit card, and/or orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event that we make a change to or cancel an order, we may attempt to notify you by contacting the e-mail and/or billing address/phone number provided at the time the order was made.

Accuracy of information

Occasionally there may be information on the Services that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may relate to availability, promotions and offers. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, and to change or update information or cancel orders if any information on the Services or Services is inaccurate at any time without prior notice (including after you have submitted your order). We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify information on the Services including, without limitation, pricing information, except as required by law. No specified update or refresh date applied on the Services should be taken to indicate that all information on the Services or Services has been modified or updated.

Third party services

If you decide to enable, access or use third party services, be advised that your access and use of such other services are governed solely by the terms and conditions of such other services, and we do not endorse, are not responsible or liable for, and make no representations as to any aspect of such other services, including, without limitation, their content or the manner in which they handle data (including your data) or any interaction between you and the provider of such other services. You irrevocably waive any claim against BOATS GUIDE FLORIDA with respect to such other services. BOATS GUIDE FLORIDA is not liable for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with your enablement, access or use of any such other services, or your reliance on the privacy practices, data security processes or other policies of such other services. You may be required to register for or log into such other services on their respective platforms. By enabling any other services, you are expressly permitting BOATS GUIDE FLORIDA to disclose your data as necessary to facilitate the use or enablement of such other service.

Backups

We perform regular backups of the Website and its Content and will do our best to ensure completeness and accuracy of these backups. In the event of the hardware failure or data loss we will restore backups automatically to minimize the impact and downtime.

Advertisements

During your use of the Services, you may enter into correspondence with or participate in promotions of advertisers or sponsors showing their goods or services through the Services. Any such activity, and any terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such activity, is solely between you and the applicable third party. We shall have no liability, obligation or responsibility for any such correspondence, purchase or promotion between you and any such third party.

Links to other resources

Although the Services may link to other resources (such as websites, mobile applications, etc.), we are not, directly or indirectly, implying any approval, association, sponsorship, endorsement, or affiliation with any linked resource, unless specifically stated herein. Some of the links on the Services may be “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, BOATS GUIDE FLORIDA will receive an affiliate commission. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating, and we do not warrant the offerings of, any businesses or individuals or the content of their resources. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the actions, products, services, and content of any other third parties. You should carefully review the legal statements and other conditions of use of any resource which you access through a link on the Services. Your linking to any other off-site resources is at your own risk.

Prohibited uses

In addition to other terms as set forth in the Agreement, you are prohibited from using the Services or Content: (a) for any unlawful purpose; (b) to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; (c) to violate any international, federal, provincial or state regulations, rules, laws, or local ordinances; (d) to infringe upon or violate our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; (e) to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; (f) to submit false or misleading information; (g) to upload or transmit viruses or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the Services, third party products and services, or the Internet; (