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Mexico’s president sparked a social media frenzy over the weekend after he shared a photo of what he claims is a ‘goblin’ sitting in a tree.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador posted on Twitter on Saturday a photo of a mysterious-looking animal with glowing eyes, along with a photo of sculptures from a Yucatecan Mayan archaeological site.
‘I share two photos of our supervision of the works of the Mayan Train: one, taken by an engineer three days ago, apparently from an aluxe; another, by Diego Prieto of a splendid pre-Hispanic sculpture in Ek Balam. Everything is mystical,’ he wrote.
An ‘Aluxe’ is a mythological forest spirit in Mayan culture, similar to an elf. The creatures are invisible but can become apparent, according to lore.
López Obrador, 69, who has more than nine million followers on the social network, quickly caught the attention of users who began to mercilessly mock him for his post.
Mexico’s president sparked a social media frenzy over the weekend after he shared a photo of what he claims is a ‘goblin’ sitting in a tree.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador posted on Twitter on Saturday a photo of a mysterious-looking animal with glowing eyes, along with a photo of sculptures from a Yucatecan Mayan archaeological site.
An ‘Aluxe’ is a mythological forest spirit in Mayan culture, similar to an elf. The creatures are invisible but can become apparent, according to lore.
The tweet was posted just before 6pm on Saturday night and has been retweeted and liked more than 32,000 times.
The night photo of the ‘goblin’ shows a tree with a branch that forms what looks like a hair and things that look like glowing eyes.
The second photo shows sculptures that the president says were found in Ek Balam, Mexico, made by the Mayans hundreds of years ago.
According to Twitter, the photos that López Obrador published have been viewed by users 4.4 million times.
These users have not been shy when it comes to interacting with the tweets and claims of the Mexican president.
Reactions ranged from shock to anger that López Obrador posted so openly about a mythical creature and shared a story that was quickly debunked.
‘The leprechaun of the president of Mexico publishing lolololol’, one person laughed.
‘Honestly, that’s a believable elf, Mexican president. I’m on board’, said one user.
“It’s a raccoon with a bag over its head,” wrote another.
“What a normal president, how healthy everything is, how timely and without false information,” said one person in a translated tweet.
Many criticized the president, saying he was completely lying about the story, citing articles that circulated two years ago with the image of the ‘goblin’.
‘Yes, Andrés, an engineer three days ago took a photo that has been going around Nuevo León since February 2021 and in Thailand since December of that year. You are sad, very sad… and the country even more… If you believe it, you are stupid… if you know you are lying, you are malicious…’ said another user.
As to what the mystery figure is, many have stated that they believe the ‘elf’ is actually a gibbon or langur monkey, both of which resemble the tree figure.
‘Yes, Andrés, an engineer three days ago took a photo that has been going around Nuevo León since February 2021 and in Thailand since December of that year. You are sad, very sad… and the country even more… If you believe it, you are stupid… if you know you are lying, you are malicious…’ said another user.
‘Pathetic… The Mexican president claims that a photo of an Indonesian gibbon or langur taken 2 years ago is actually a gnome/wizard/magical creature from this week in the Yucatan. No wonder why he has no credit,” wrote one person.
The photos published by López Obrador have been viewed by users 4.4 million times
“What a normal president, how healthy everything is, how timely and without false information,” said one person in a translated tweet
Many criticized the president, saying he was completely lying about the story, citing articles that circulated two years ago with the image of the ‘goblin’.
Reactions ranged from shock to anger at López Obrador’s open post about a mythical creature and sharing a story that was quickly debunked.
‘In whose hands is this country?’ asked one person on Twitter
The second photo shows sculptures that the president says were found in Ek Balam, Mexico, made by the Mayans hundreds of years ago.
Engineers and workers are in the Yucatan peninsula, building a tourist train that is the president’s passion project
López Obrador has long held on to his love of indigenous cultures and beliefs. Engineers and workers are in the Yucatan peninsula, building a tourist train that is the president’s passion project.
The ancient Mayan civilization reached its height between AD 300 and AD 900 in the Yucatan Peninsula and adjacent parts of Central America.
Descendants of the Maya continue to live on the peninsula today.
Many still speak the Mayan language and wear traditional clothing, while maintaining traditional practices of food, crops, religion, and medicine.