Santa Muerte is a folk saint in Mexican folk Catholicism and neopaganism. The veneration of "Holy Death" has its origins in the Aztecs' worship of the death goddess Mictēcacihuātl, but overt veneration of Santa Muerte remained clandestine until the early 2000s. By the late 2000s, 5% of Mexico's population (5 million people) venerated Santa Muerte, a number that grew to 12 million by the late 2010s due to her purported capability for miracles. The worship of Santa Muerte has been condemned by both the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical churches.
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A statue of Santa Muerte in El Sueño's mausoleum
A statue of Santa Muerte