El Robo de las Momias de Guanajuato is a 1972 Mexican lucha libre film featuring iconic wrestlers battling a warlock's resurrected mummies, as shown in IMDb reviews
More than a decade later, the people of Guanajuato still leave candles at the museum entrance every May 28. They pray not only for the souls of the mummies but also for the souls of the thieves—lost men who, in stealing the dead, perhaps lost their own humanity as well.
The allegations were brought forward by Paloma Reyes Lacayo, a former director of the Guanajuato Mummy Museum. She accused the current municipal administration of negligence.
While critics often label it as "terrible" or "second rate" from a technical standpoint, many fans of B-movies consider it a "must-watch" for its pure entertainment value and surreal atmosphere. Plot & Cast The Premise
: In 2023, experts warned that traveling displays were a biohazard , as fungal spores were found growing on the bodies, potentially threatening both the mummies and the public. robbery of the mummies of guanajuato top
. They spend the film battling the undead without ever removing their iconic masks. The Mummies
That museum had never experienced violence—until the night of May 28, 2007.
The Real Controversy: The Traveling Mummies and Missing BodiesThe real-world "robbery" is less about masked thieves breaking in at midnight and more about suspected government mismanagement, undocumented tours, and missing specimens.
, which were naturally mummified in local cemeteries due to specific soil and climate conditions. Today, these remains are housed in the Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato , a popular but controversial dark tourism destination. ResearchGate El Robo de las Momias de Guanajuato is
The most famous "robbery" associated with these mummies is the 1972 Mexican film (The Robbery of the Mummies of Guanajuato).
: Mankind’s only hope lies in a trio of legendary masked wrestlers: Mil Máscaras Blue Angel El Rayo de Jalisco
This sparked outrage from federal authorities, who claimed that moving these delicate human remains for promotional stunts was akin to stripping the city of its historical heritage. The public and media frequently refer to these incidents as a cultural "robbery" of Guanajuato’s identity. The Ethical Dilemma: Exploitation vs. Preservation
There is a disarming innocence to the proceedings. One moment, you are staring into the shriveled, screaming face of a real mummy (which are genuinely terrifying and a huge credit to the film's atmosphere), and the next, Tin Tan is tripping over a skeleton prop in a vaudevillian routine. It creates a jarring yet entertaining "horror-lite" experience that feels like a live-action Scooby-Doo episode, but with more cowboy hats. and irresponsibility" in managing the museum
While security was tightened in later years, the early tours saw damage and loss. Arms were broken off, and in some instances, smaller remains or artifacts buried with the mummies were stolen by handlers or visitors. The idea that a human being could be stolen from their grave, displayed for profit, and then stolen again by a third party is a chilling testament to the complete objectification of the deceased.
The top-billed cast featured the titans of the ring, who famously kept their masks on throughout the entire movie: Luchador / Actor Character / Role (Aarón Rodríguez Arellano) Blue Demon Blue Angel El Rayo de Jalisco (Julio César Agrasánchez) Tito Novaro Count Cagliostro
However, Ms. Reyes was not satisfied. She accused the municipal administration of "ignorance, negligence, and irresponsibility" in managing the museum, putting the "largest collection of natural mummies in the world" at risk. She escalated the matter, requesting the intervention of the INAH, UNESCO, and the Superior Audit Office of Guanajuato. Her claims of "loss of mummies, damage to mummies, trafficking of influence, and illicit authorizations" pointed to corruption and mismanagement at the highest levels of the city government.