Couple Believed ‘God Will Wake' Up Dead Son, Refused To Bury Body

A Venezuelan family refused to bury their 20-year-old deceased member for nine days claiming God told them that the dead man will be brought back to life.

César Alexis Blanco, 20, was killed by gunshot wounds on Dec. 10 in the Cali neighborhood of Puertas del Sol, Venezuela. He was shot at point black range three times by an unidentified shooter when he was enjoying a beverage with a friend in front of a local store. Although the shooter’s motive is still being investigated, his family was adamant that the victim’s death was a result of xenophobia.

Instead of burying his body, Blanco’s parents have opted to hold daily vigils, in spite of the annoyance their actions caused to the neighbors. Explaining the reason behind it, the family members told Univision and other Colombian media that God had communicated with them, assuring them the man would be resuscitated.

“God will wake him up. He is going to give him life once again, and that's what we want," Julio Blanco, the dead man's relative said.

The victim’s body was taken to the Christian foundation “La cueva de Adulam” following his death, where the family planned to keep it for nine days, waiting for him to be brought back to life. César’s father said he did not understand why the community objected to their belief.

"We sing and pray waiting for him to rise up and come back to life. Your body does not smell ugly because we have prepared it very well. They have already come forensic doctors and health and verified that everything was fine, then I do not understand if we are not hurting anyone, because the community complains," the father told RCN Radio.

The body was finally removed from the foundation Thursday, as his family and friends sang praises of the “all powerful”. Even as the police and officials of the Ministry of Health took the dead body to the funeral carriage to transport it to the evangelical cemetery located in the north of the city, his mother, Giovanna Margarita López, started chanting for a miracle.

"César Alexis, get up in the name of Jesus. It is in the power of Jesus Christ, alleluia, because He is the one who rises and from Him is the power, alleluia, and I believe it, blessed the glory of God. Because He said we were coming, Jehovah's salvation, in the name of Jesus, get up,” she said.

The body was finally buried Thursday.

Juan Pablo Uribe, the minister of health and social protection of Venezuela, said the officials had to take care not to disrespect the beliefs of the family in the process.

“This procedure was achieved after several days of mediating with the family since they argued that because of their religious beliefs these prayers and praises were necessary, and it is something that had to be respected since in Colombia there is something called freedom of cults and it is something that should not be overlooked. Finally it was possible to be buried in the evangelical cemetery; his family and friends did not oppose him, nor was there any altercation,” he said.