Marduk will not perform in Panama

The black metal group Marduk will not be able to perform in Panama, as originally scheduled.

The Ministry of Labor and Work Development explained that the band did not present the necessary documentation for the application of a work permit that would allow them to pay on October 6th. The application must be made 20 working days in advance.

Failing to comply with this provision, the Swedish band will not be able to perform on Saturday at the local Hangar 18, in the Los Angeles area.

In recent days, the group - self-described as "the most blasphemous band in history" - became the subject of controversy in social networks. Christian Almengor, a user of www.change.org , created a petition under the title "We do not want Marduk in Panama’’.  As of Wednesday, 24,547 signatures had been collected to prevent the show to go on.

In other Latin American countries, such as Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, the band also provoked rejection. "We do not allow the satanic and blasphemous band Marduk to offend Jesus and bring us a curse by poisoning young people with Satanism," said the councilor of Bogotá, Marco Fidel Ramírez .

Monsignor Jose Domingo Ulloa , archbishop of Panama, has also spoken out against the band, claiming that it goes against the positive message that they have tried to achieve for the World Youth Day.
Who are they really?

Marduk is a black metal band , subgenre that was born of heavy metal in the mid-60s, which took its name from an ancient Mesopotamian deity.

His guitarist Morgan Håkansson has claimed that for them the blasphemous concept refers to what they are trying to do within the genre. " We try to take our music one step further, give it a new direction, injecting our energy and see where it takes us."

The band has published 14 albums, with lyrics ranging from historical events such as wars, ancient cultures and an explicit rejection of the Christian religion. Added to this, they have been accused of having fascist affinities.

Jean Paul , organizer of the presentation of the group in Panama, expressed through his social networks that in this type of events "there is a coexistence of brotherhood for a genre of music that we like. There are no weapons, no violence. " He also denied some rumors as the possibility that there are animal sacrifices on stage. "The band does a show which includes makeup and other special effects.  It’s a show where, once they finish, they continue with their life as you and I".

Panamanian Margot Garcia , who planned  to attend the concert, criticized the fact that there is a petition to collect signatures to prohibit an activity that is private "which is managed with money from attendees, and not the government."