Discovery en Espanol Explores the Hidden Worlds of Latin America's Religious Cults and Sects

USA - English

• Latin America - español

MIAMI, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In its new original series, Mundos extremos, Discovery en Espanol opens doors and gives viewers exclusive access to the most arcane, secret ways of life. This program takes viewers into the secret world of cults, political associations, spiritual congregations and other groups in Latin America that are objects for rejection and public ridicule, to learn about their daily lives and what drives them to live out their extreme existence. Nudists, Mennonites, Mormons, Sadomasochists, members of religious orders that practice self-flagellation are among the groups profiled in this series. Mundos extremos premieres Wednesday, February 1 at 10pm ET/ 11pm PT.

Divided into eight docu-reality episodes, Mundos extremos delves into the heart of these and other little known communities in Latin America to learn what life is like for people who choose to violate social norms, either based on their own convictions or because they were born into groups with very specific lifestyles.

To better understand and accurately depict the daily lives, rituals and what motivates these people to live such unconventional lives, the production team immersed themselves into the daily routines of these communities, persuading them to open their doors and allow production team members to live among them. The series also includes testimonials from cult specialists, anthropologists, journalists, historians, sociologists, and the leaders of these groups.

Following is a brief description of the Mundos extremos series episodes which will start airing on Wednesday, February 1:

Taxco sangre por Cristo - Taxco Bleeds for Christ (Mexico)
Every year, the Mexican city of Taxco is the scene of a bloody Holy Week celebration. This episode follows several pilgrims who, guided by the Catholic faith, relive the Passion of Jesus Christ by practicing various types of public self-flagellation.

Menonitas: tradiciones violadas - Mennonites: The Rape of Tradition (Bolivia)
In Manitoba, Bolivia, a Mennonite colony is the victim of sexual attacks against more than one hundred women. This episode goes inside the colony to understand the impact of these terrible rapes in a community shaken by uncertainty and panic.

La familia mormona - The Mormon Family (Mexico)
In the heart of the Mexican desert lies a community of polygamous Mormons. Nefi and Marcial Lebaron support several families simultaneously. However, the younger children do not seem so sure about continuing in the tradition.

El "Maestro Amor" - "Master Love" (Argentina)
This episode takes us to the province of Catamarca in Argentina to come face to face with a community called Meditazen and their leader, Javier Ocampo, known as "Master Love." His followers give up everything to blindly follow his teachings.

Naturaleza desnuda / Dolor como placer - Naked Nature / Pain as Pleasure (Colombia/Argentina)
In Bogota, a community must become resourceful in order to practice nudism despite the limits imposed on them by society. Meanwhile, in Buenos Aires, the sadomasochist community must hide in order to freely engage in unconventional sexual practices.

Juventud Nazi / 666 - Nazi Youth/ 666 (Chile/Colombia)
Santiago de Chile is home to several groups of youths living under a violent and xenophobic code patterned after Adolf Hitler's National Socialism. In Bogota, we visit the Growing in Grace church, a community that worships Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, a leader who proclaims himself "The Man Christ Jesus".

Un mundo pequeno / Sangre es poder - A Small World / Blood is Power (Ecuador/Mexico)
This episode visits the Ecuadorian village of Balsas, where a large segment of the population suffers from Laron Syndrome, a strange genetic affliction that keeps them from growing any taller than 125 centimeters. It also explores Palo Mayombe, an Afro-Cuban practice that includes animal sacrifices and in recent years has seen rapid growth in countries such as Mexico.

Valle de los espiritus - Valley of the Spirits (Brazil)
Near Brasilia, a spiritualist community follows the doctrines established by the divine inspiration of a medium known as Tia Neiva.  This episode sheds light on the practices of this group that contacts lost souls and delivers them from the suffering of their past lives.

Mundos extremos is an original Discovery en Espanol production directed by Michela Giorelli, in collaboration with Endemol Argentina.

For Discovery en Espanol programming information, interactive games and more, viewers may log onto discoveryenespanol.com.   

About Discovery en Espanol

Discovery en Espanol is the Spanish-language voice of Discovery. It is the premier network dedicated to offering the finest in quality programming in the areas of science and technology, world culture and history, nature and wildlife as well as real-life drama. The network creates an indelibly enriching experience by collecting the best of what Discovery's networks have to offer in combination with its own original Spanish-language content. Created by the world's most trusted media brand, Discovery en Espanol translates not just the words, but the feeling of Discovery, educating and engaging audiences nationwide with fascinating glimpses into the incredible world they inhabit. For more information, visit discoveryenespanol.com.   

SOURCE Discovery en Espanol