Shamans in Peru gathered on Monday for their annual New Year ritual, using ancestral traditions to predict major global and regional events for the year ahead. During the ceremony on a beach in southern Lima, the spiritual leaders forecast serious illness for US President Donald Trump and political defeat for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Juan de Dios Garcia, a prominent shaman, led the ritual while wearing colourful ponchos and scattering flowers across the sand. As part of the ceremony, shamans carried large posters of world leaders, crossed swords over them, burned incense, and stomped on some images to symbolise conflict and transformation. Garcia warned that the United States should brace itself, claiming Trump would fall seriously ill in the coming year.
Meanwhile, Garcia predicted Maduro’s downfall, saying the Venezuelan leader would be defeated and forced to flee the country. However, he added that Maduro would escape capture, suggesting an uncertain political transition rather than a clear resolution.
Regional politics and global conflicts in focus
In addition to Trump and Maduro, the shamans displayed posters of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Through ritual chants and the use of wachuma, an ancestral plant, Garcia said he foresaw the end of Russia’s war in Ukraine. According to his vision, the conflict would conclude with peace and reconciliation.
Closer to home, the shamans turned their attention to Peru’s political future. Garcia predicted that Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, would finally secure the presidency in the 2026 election after three unsuccessful attempts. He said spiritual insight revealed her victory and rise to power.
Although the ceremony takes place every year in late December, its predictions often attract widespread attention. Notably, the shamans had previously forecast an end to the Ukraine war in 2023, which did not materialise. Nevertheless, the ritual remains a significant cultural event, blending ancient beliefs with modern political narratives.
