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José Guadalupe Posada creates La Catrina, a figure based on ancient Aztec worship of death. Mictecacihuatl, the Aztec goddess of death, was typically represented with a skeleton, and Posada used it as inspiration for Catrina - La Catrina was a female skeleton dressed in fancy clothing, meant to represent the inequality associated with life, society, and death. -
Although the Spanish Conquest buried Santa Muerte and Mictecacihuatl, Posada's La Catrina brought it to the forefront of art and society. Notable artists like Diego Rivera began using the image of the skeleton in art, and rituals like the Day of the Dead became more popular. These skeletons became symbols of death as an equalizer and became a large part of Mexican culture.
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Worship of Santa Muerte arises in working-class Mexican neighborhoods, like Tepito and Hidalgo.
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The arrest of the gangster Daniel Arizmendi López created widespread media attention of Santa Muerte when a shrine was found in his home and publicized. Because of this event and others, Santa Muerte became more deeply associated with criminal activity, violence, illegal drug trade, etc. -
Enriqueta Romero, a religious crusader, establishes the first public shrine for Santa Muerte in Tepito. -
David Romo establishes the first Santa Muerte Church, the Traditional Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, in Mexico City, and is recognized by the Mexican government. By the late 2000s, there were around 5 million devotees in Mexico, about 5% of the country's population. -
After formal complaints were filed against the Traditional Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, the Mexican government strips the church of its official recognition. Despite this, following for the religion keeps growing.
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Mexican army demolishes 40 roadside Santa Muerte shrines near the U.S. border as the religion becomes more controversial, especially among Catholic religious groups.
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Currently, the Santa Muerte religion is one of the fastest-growing new religious movements in the world, and the fastest-growing NRM in the Americas. It has an estimated 10-12 million followers.