By Andrew Hoxha 
A tragic incident during a spiritual cleansing ritual has left the community in shock and mourning. On December 1, 33-year-old Marcela
Alcázar Rodríguez died after ingesting kambo—a potent, poisonous secretion from the skin of the Amazonian giant
monkey frog—while attending a retreat in Durango, Mexico, as part of her Healer Training Diploma program.
Local news outlets report that what was meant to be a transformative healing experience turned fatal in a matter of moments,
as Rodríguez suffered severe gastrointestinal distress after the ritual and ultimately succumbed to her symptoms despite attempts to secure medical help.
I. A Fateful Ritual: The Tragic Event Unfolds
A. The Day That Changed Everything
On December 1, 2016, what should have been a day of spiritual insight
and self-discovery ended in unspeakable tragedy. Marcela Alcázar Rodríguez, a young and promising participant in a healer training program, was undergoing a kambo ritual—a traditional practice rooted in
South American indigenous healing traditions. During the ritual, practitioners apply a substance secreted from the skin of the Amazonian giant monkey frog to
small burns made on the body. The kambo is believed to purge toxins and restore balance to the body.