Tambay A. Obenson (Shadow and Act) reports that Starz Television Critics Association (TCA) to present “diverse” programming with the development of Santeria, a “supernatural series” by Cuban writer and director Alejandro Brugués (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Juan of the Dead) and Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series) who will executive produce and direct, with Gregg Hale (The Blair Witch Project) serving as executive producer.

According to Obenson, the description of the series reads: “Cuba, its doors finally open to the world. But a secret war brews there, a clash between opposing sects of Santeria, the ancient religion born on the island. Two undercover agents investigating a bizarre murder are pulled into this supernatural conflict and discover it’s more dangerous and far-reaching than anything they could have imagined.”

Obenson writes: “I fear that this could be some Eli Roth-esque thoughtless exercise in reinforcing certain colonial stereotypes and stigmas used to demonize/*other* a group of people.”

Well, he is not the only one to be perturbed by this. The Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba has sent out an official Declaration of Protest [Declaración Protesta de La Asociación Cultural Yoruba de Cuba sobre la Serie “Santería”] explaining why the “Santeria” Series is an affront to Cubanness, the Yoruba religion, “our religiosity, the blood shed by so many Yoruba brothers, by using as the main plot an alleged secret war in Cuba between sects of the Yoruba religion, which supposedly generates several murders, representing us to the world as gang members and delinquents, which is an aggression against our Cuban cultural identity.”

The petition continues, “We demand and alert those with the authority or civic responsibility to take action to prevent the filming of this series in our country.” The letter also asks that, in the future, decisions are not made behind their backs in matters regarding the Yoruba religious institution of Cuba and its various Councils of Elders.”

For full declaration, see https://www.cibercuba.com/noticias/2016-01-25-u13-declaracion-protesta-de-la-asociacion-cultural-yoruba-de-cuba-sobre-la-serie

For full Shadow and Act article, see http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/starz-developing-santeria-supernatural-series-from-cuban-writer-director-alejandro-brugues-20160108