Santiago Apóstol at Ayuntamiento of Antigua Guatemala

For the Santiago Apóstol celebrations the municipal authorities decided to set up an effigy of said saint on the second story of the Palacio del Ayuntamiento. There were all kinds of parades during the morning as well marimba music concerts.

I guess at municipal level, government officials do not understand the constitutional mandate about the separation of church and state. Heck, methinks, at national level, the Guatemalan government doesn’t understand it either.

I do understand the importance of Santiago, the patron saint of La Antigua Guatemala, formerly known as Santiago de Guatemala, and thus all the celebrations around town. But, does the municipal government need to set up religious effigies on public buildings? Am I the only one who sees a contradiction here?

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