“Wearing blood-colored costumes and devilish papier-mâché masks that would make a gargoyle grimace, hundreds of worshipers disguised as demons danced through the streets here Thursday in one of Venezuela’s most exalted religious rituals. An Afro-Venezuelan tradition in parishes near the country’s Caribbean coast since the late 18th century, the ‘Dancing Devils’ have received support from President Hugo Chávez’s government as they seek to raise awareness about Venezuelan folklore and promote new forms of tourism.”