Godzilla or Catrina? 32-Metre Catrina at Mexico City's Zócalo Fuels a 'Sheinbaumzilla' Meme Debate

A giant Catrina figure has been installed at Mexico City's historic Zócalo square for Día de Muertos, the Day of the Dead. According to the details available so far, the figure stands roughly 32 metres tall and has been dressed in a long purple gown. The structure, erected in the city's largest public square, has become a draw for passers-by and tourists, but the real commotion is happening on social media. Curiously, the centre of the debate is less about the artwork itself and more about the memes and viral comparisons forming around it. The most talked-about comparison links the figure to Godzilla, the fictional monster of Japanese cinema. The Catrina is one of the most recognisable symbols of Mexican folk tradition. It is usually depicted as a skeleton-like female figure with a decorated face, dressed in flamboyant clothes. During Día de Muertos it is treated as a symbol of respect for deceased ancestors. Installing a large-scale Catrina at a central square such as the Zócalo has become an established tradition over the past few years, and the event draws crowds in the city every year. This time too the figure has attracted attention, although detailed official information about it is not yet publicly available. There is a discrepancy in the existing information about the figure's height. Some accounts describe it as 'more than 32 metres', while others state simply '32 metres'. The difference between the two is not clear, and no official source is available either. If the figure is accurate, 32 metres is roughly equivalent to a ten-storey building, considerably larger than any ordinary structure on the square. Basic details such as the date of installation, the agency that built it and the cost have also not been made public, which naturally limits the claims this report can make. Photographs of the figure are being shared rapidly on social media. Users have created memes pairing it with fictional characters such as Godzilla and Optimus Prime from the Transformers franchise. The basis for these comparisons is its sheer scale and broad silhouette, which reminds many people of scenes from monster films. Several of the memes circulating present the figure as a threat looming over the city. This should be read as the product of people's imagination rather than part of any official event; such content is meant as entertainment. Meanwhile, the most talked-about name to emerge is 'Sheinbaumzilla'. The nickname is a mash-up of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Godzilla. It was coined as a joke among social media users and is being linked to a resemblance between the figure's bun hairstyle and the president's hairstyle. It is worth noting that this is not merely a matter of hairstyle similarity. Sheinbaum sits at the centre of politics, and nicknames of this kind have long been used as satire in Mexican public discourse. Such nicknames are often part of political criticism, and reducing them to an innocent coincidence of appearance does not tell the whole story. It is also unclear who first used the name and when, and whether any particular account or campaign pushed it further. Neither the president's office nor the local administration has offered any response. The debate itself illustrates how public conversation is changing. Public art used to be discussed mainly by critics and in newspaper columns; today the first reaction arrives on social media, and it usually comes through a character or a film reference. That widens the reach of an event, but it also blurs the line between fact and satire. The same photograph is a symbol of folk tradition to one person, a movie monster to another, and a political comment to a third. Preserving that distinction is also the responsibility of those taking part in the conversation. One major gap runs through the whole episode: the absence of official voices. Who organised the installation, how much it cost, which artist built the figure and how long it will be displayed — none of these questions has a clear answer so far. The available information cites no municipality, no culture department and no organiser. It also includes no statement from onlookers or local residents. When both the organisers and the audience are missing, the structure of the story weakens by itself. The most important question is how long the figure will remain on the square. Día de Muertos is celebrated in early November, and such structures are usually removed afterwards. But no end date has been announced for this year's installation. The question is not merely procedural. If the figure stays up for a long time, it could affect local tourism and traffic. If it is taken down quickly, the meme wave on social media will subside just as fast. In either case, readers have a right to know how long the event runs, and at present that information is not officially available. In past years the Catrina figures installed at the Zócalo have been comparatively smaller, and media reports have generally put their height in the range of the mid-teens of metres. The claim of 32 metres this time should be viewed against that backdrop, though it could not be independently confirmed for this report either. If the number is correct, it is a significant story in itself and should have been announced officially. If it is wrong, it is the kind of error that spreads quickly and becomes hard to correct later. It is necessary to be clear about the quality of the information used in this report. The figure's height, colour, location and the festival context are all points that need to be verified against an external official source. The material about the memes and the nickname comes from 'social media users', which is not a source in itself — no platform name, no account, no timestamp, no screenshot. It should therefore be read as an indication of a trend, not as established fact. For the same reason, caution has been exercised about the year of the event; the year recorded in the available material is contradictory and has not been used as fact. Overall, this story splits into two parts. On one side is the giant Catrina standing in the Zócalo, part of the Día de Muertos tradition, drawing people to see it. On the other is the wave on social media that tied the figure to Godzilla and to political satire. Neither has been fully verified yet. What is certain is that the figure is standing on the square and the debate around it is under way. For the remaining details, waiting for official sources is the appropriate course.