BEING the mother to one of the most powerful and dangerous gang leaders in history is an extremely difficult position to be in.
But María Loera - one of El Chapo's parents - has had to deal with her son's dark past for decades despite constantly denying he did anything wrong.
Who is María Loera?
María Loera was the mum of notorious drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
The woman died at 94-years-old on Sunday December 12, after years of begging for the release of her infamous son from a strict US prison.
Loera was reportedly unwell for weeks and was in and out of a Mexican hospital before she died but her cause of death hasn't been confirmed yet.
El Chapo's lawyer José González told Milenio news that staff at the hospital she was staying at called emergency services around 2.30pm on Sunday to announce her death.
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He said: "Respect to the family. I was reading that the lady was already (ill) ... any human being who loses their life deserves respect and also consideration for their family members, for all those who go through these ordeals.
"We must not hate and we must put into practice that philosophical, universal principle of love for our neighbor and only by being good can we be happy."
Unlike her drug lord son, Loera apparently led a quiet life and chose to stay out of the limelight.
The head of Mexico’s state media agency, Jenaro Villamil, described Loera as "a simple woman from Sinaloa".
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She was known to be a very religious lady by those around here.
What did María Loera say about her son Joaquin Guzman?
Loera has always publicly rubbished any claims that her son was the leader of Mexico's most powerful drug cartel despite the manhunt and imprisonment of her boy.
Despite her quiet life she did publicly come out and speak with Mexican president López Obrador in a last ditch attempt to get her son back into Mexico.
Loera wished for his life sentence to be served in his home country rather than in Colorado where he was sent.
The president told media at the time that Loera had not seen her son in five years and "didn't want to die without seeing him".
In 2019, she tried to secure humanitarian visas for herself and two of her daughters to visit him in the maximum-security prison in Colorado where he was transferred to after his sentencing.
Her petitions were all denied and she didn't get the chance to see him in person before she died.
Did María Loera have any other children?
Loera had 10 children altogether - including Joaquin Guzman - with her partner Emilio Guzmán Bustillos.
Six of El Chapo's siblings were younger than him, with his two sisters named Armida and Bernarda and four brothers - Miguel Ángel, Aureliano, Arturo, and Emilio.
The other three siblings were all older brothers but their names haven't ever been revealed as the trio reportedly died of natural causes just a few years after El Chapo was born.
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The formidable drug lord has at least 15 children himself after countless affairs and a number of failed marriages.
His kids often flaunt their millionaire lifestyles on social media, while his sons, known as 'Chapitos' are believed to be running the Sinaloa Cartel as he is in jail.
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