5 min readNew DelhiFeb 28, 2023 07:17 AM IST
First published on: Feb 27, 2023 at 06:50 PM IST
Mexican President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador (also known as AMLO) became the subject of internet jokes on Sunday (February 26) when he claimed a blurry, dark photo of a tree at night showed a figure from Mayan mythology, as depicted in a historic sculpture from the Mayan civilization.
Sharing the two photos, he said the one on the left was reportedly “taken by an engineer three days ago” who was involved in the Maya Train project and showed an alux, referring to small creatures who were believed to play tricks on people. The other showed a “splendid pre-Hispanic sculpture in Ek Balam” located in Mexico. “Everything is mystical,” he added.
Many reacted with disbelief and mocked the President’s tweet. Mauricio Schwarz, a Mexican novelist, replied to the tweet with screenshots of the same photo being shared earlier in Mexico and in Thailand two years ago.
Mexico is currently witnessing large-scale protests over the reforms proposed to the National Electoral Institute (INE), the country’s election commission that could influence its functioning.
What are aluxes?
According to Mayan mythology, aluxes are small, mischievous creatures that inhabit forests and fields and play tricks on people, like hiding things, an AP report explains. It adds that some people leave small offerings to appease them.
The Yucatan Times, a local media organisation, reported legends about how shelter-like structures were built for aluxes when construction works were undertaken in the area. It was believed these shelters would attract the creatures, who would then help ward off any hindrances and help work proceed smoothly.
Similarly, there are myths about angering the forest spirits. During a 2010 concert by British singer Elton John in the region, local Mayan leaders complained about it being held near the Mayan pyramids of Chichen Itza. They said a state collapse before the performance, which hurt three people, was the work of aluxes for not taking permission from the Gods.
What was the Mayan civilization?
The larger Mayan civilisation (which reached its zenith between 300 AD to 900 AD) is recognised as one having significant cultural heft in its time — with innovations in farming, stone architecture, the study of mathematics and astronomy, devising calendars, as well as large-scale human sacrifices as part of religious rituals. It spanned present-day Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala in Central America.
Yucata, a peninsula in Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico, has important Mayan sites. Ek Balam, the archaeological site referenced by President AMLO, is also in Yucata.
Mayan people, to date, continue inhabiting some of these regions. Though the number of people speaking the indigenous languages and following traditional customs has fallen over time with Spanish colonisation or the post-Hispanic period, president AMLO has been known to emphasise aspects of indigenous culture.
AMLO and indigenous Mexicans
According to Reuters, Lopez Obrador has often spoken about the pre-colonisation culture and blamed colonial-era abuses for present-day injustices in the country.
The socialist leader has also pressured a Vienna museum to lend Mexico a bejewelled feather headdress in the last few years. Another pet project of his is the Maya Train tourism project, which runs through Mexico’s thickly-forested regions. Last year, a prehistoric human skeleton believed to be at least 8,000 years old was found in a cave on this path.
The 1,500-kilometer Maya Train line is meant to run in a rough loop around the Yucatan Peninsula, connecting beach resorts and archaeological sites, AP reported. It has come under criticism for damage to the environment and potentially hurting the archaeological sites.
Mauricio Schwarz, a Mexican novelist, replied to the tweet with screenshots of the same photo (on the left) being shared earlier in Mexico and in Thailand two years ago. (Photos via Twitter.com/@lopezobrador_) 
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