Santa Muerta sounds al lot like pislam.
In the third world there are a lot of pagan/satanic groups that try to hide what they are doing through using various "Saints" as cover for the real deities they are worshipping. Some will even go into a church and pray to/with a certain saint and everyone looking on them will just think they are a devout Catholic when in reality it's not true.
I think this was a form of survival for the pagan cults in Mexico and Central and South America when they were conquered to keep their evil rituals and worship secret and hide it from those who would put a stop to it, by masquerading themselves as Catholic.
The human sacrifice, pagan worship, etc. never actually went away but was just better hidden.
Every once in a while you'll see a news story about it like this.