Nicolás Maduro's Personal Brujo Lives in Miami, Charges $90,000 Per Consultation

When he's not busy speeding up the slow-motion collapse of what was once South America's wealthiest nation, Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro enjoys engaging in the occult and esoteric. The dictator's penchant for the supernatural is one of the worst-kept secrets in Caracas, though his regime maintains he's a faithful Christian. In reality, Maduro is a devout follower of the late Sathya Sai Baba — a spiritual guru and philanthropist from India who was revered as a living god by his followers — and has also allegedly dabbled in Santería.

One of the largest benefactors of these supernatural hobbies is Miami resident Cirilo Enrique Rodulfo Sr., a brujo (warlock) who conducts tarot card readings for the Venezuelan elite in South Florida and Caracas, according to El Dictador y Sus Demonios, journalist David Placer's new book about the influence of occultism in Venezuelan politics.

Of the countless suckerfish feeding from the belly of the predatory Maduro regime, Rodulfo is certainly among the oddest. The brujo and Maduro crossed paths years before the latter rose to the Venezuelan presidency, united by their adherence to Sai Baba.

Placer recounts a remarkable exchange between Maduro and Rodulfo, years before the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez fell ill with the cancer that would eventually take his life. The brujo allegedly used the powers of Sai Baba to make a looming prediction: "Nicolás, you will become president." (Rodulfo did not respond to messages from New Times seeking comment.)

Sai Babaism is reportedly a billion-dollar religious empire that, until 2012, was led by a man whose millions of followers believed him to be the reincarnation of a famous 19th-century guru. The late Sai Baba was accused of sexual assault by multiple young men who visited his ashram in India. It's estimated there are more than a thousand centers for Sai Babaism in over 100 countries around the world, including Venezuela, where the first Sai Center was opened in 1974. Sai Baba devotees believe their spiritual leader will reincarnate in the year 2023.

Rodulfo, known as El Profe, or "the Professor," to his friends, used his knowledge of Sai Babaism to become Maduro's chief spiritual advisor. In 2005, Maduro, who shares a birthday with the late Sai Baba, and his wife Cilia Flores took a trip to meet their spiritual icon after encouragement from Rodulfo. At the time, Maduro was head of Venezuela's national assembly but held ambitions for greater. A rare photo survived the trip: Maduro, dressed in all white, sits at the feet of Sai Baba while staring calmly into the camera as his wife sits across from him.

Aquí tienen una foto del "cristiano", Nicolás Maduro, junto a Sai Baba y Cilia Flores. pic.twitter.com/gWKcZL6yE8

— Emmanuel Rincón (@EmmaRincon) June 5, 2019

According to Placer, Rodulfo was born on the Venezuelan island of Margarita. He served in the armed forces and later taught as a professor at a military academy named after Chávez and located outside of Caracas. Then there's Rodulfo's career in the occult, which developed parallel to his more exoteric callings.

After moving to Miami, Rodulfo starred in a Telemundo show in the late '80s titled La Linea Psiquica de Celia Cruz (Celia Cruz's Psychic Phone Line), according to Placer. Callers down on their luck would turn to Rodulfo in the wee hours of the morning to relate their family problems, health issues, and economic troubles, to which he would respond with ominous premonitions.

Using the show as a springboard, Rodulfo began to gather contacts and rekindle old friendships with Venezuelans visiting or moving to Miami. By 1999, he was charging $5,000 for a common consultation, but the price shot up depending upon the client. A member of Rodulfo's inner circle admitted to Placer that the brujo once charged a Venezuelan entrepreneur $90,000 for a consultation regarding whether he should sell his business. Afraid of owing a debt to a brujo, the businessman paid the fee.
Rodulfo (above right, in a rare photo with his son) was reportedly a spiritual guide for Carlos Méndez, CEO of the Doral-based Venezuelan news outlet EVTV, during those early years in Miami. But nothing could compare to the luxury that awaited Rodulfo once Maduro took power.

In his book, Placer chronicles a jet-set lifestyle that included $6,000 bottles of Dom Pérignon, Rolex watches, and private planes. Another report, by journalist Rubén Machaen, mentions extended stays at the Marriott in Caracas, where Rodulfo would hold tarot readings for exclusive clientele. The brujo brags to friends that Maduro still sends him voice messages on WhatsApp, according to Placer.

Rodulfo and his wife Aura own at least six properties — three residential homes and three condos — scattered across Miami. The current market value for all of the properties totals $1.4 million. County records show he owned property in Miami-Dade as early as 1996.

He also runs Acel Shiva Nataraya Inc., a for-profit corporate entity registered under one of his more luxurious homes in Olympia Heights.

Rodulfo's social media presence is almost nonexistent, and his various corporate entities have no websites. A Twitter account with the username SaiProfe has been traced to Rodulfo, but it's been inactive since 2012. The account's biography reads, "International Parapsychologist, Hypnotherapist, Mentalist, Spiritual Guide and Follower of the Beloved Master Sathya Sai Baba."