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‘It’s a raccoon’: Internet slams Mexican prez Andres Manuel for posting photo of what he claims is Mayan elf ‘aluxe’

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also shared a photo of a mythological sculpture from Ek Balam, an archaeological site in the Yucatan Peninsula

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO: The president of Mexico has posted a picture of what he claims to be an "aluxe," a mysterious elf-like creature from Mayan mythology. The image was shared on Twitter by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday, February 25 along with the caption, “was taken three days ago by an engineer, it appears to be an aluxe”.

Social media users, however, were quick to point out that the image the President had shared was actually taken in Indonesia in 2021 by a man in the city of Singkawang, who had been photographing what local media had characterized as a "demonic figure" with a hairy body resembling a monkey, as reported by Herald Sun.

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What photo did Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador share?

The fuzzy nighttime image the president posted depicts a white tree with a branch folded over to resemble a creature's hair and two points of light that could be stars like its eyes, according to the Associated Press.

A second image that Mr. Lopez Obrador posted showed a sculpture of the fabled beast from Ek Balam, an archaeological site in the Yucatan Peninsula where construction is taking place on a tourist train.

"I share two photos of our supervision of the Mayan Train works: 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 in the post, which has received over 5.5 million views.

The 69-year-old Mr Lopez Obrador has always expressed respect for indigenous ideas and is descended from native peoples through his paternal grandparents. He oversaw the Indigenous People's Institute of Tabasco in the 1970s.

What is an Aluxe?

Aluxe is a kind of diminutive, mischievous woodland spirit, around knee-high, according to Mayan mythology. They resemble other "little people" from many cultural traditions, such as elves or leprechauns. Aluxes are reported to live in forests, fields, stones, and caves and are often invisible unless they want to reveal themselves to humans. They enjoy tricking people by hiding or destroying objects.

They can also assume terrible shapes, such as shadows with burning red eyes, and if they are not appeased, they can wreak havoc and create disaster. In exchange for the animals guarding their crops, many farmers provide little food presents for them. Others even erect tiny huts for the animals to reside in.

'It’s a raccoon'

People were quick to comment on social media with one claiming, "It’s a raccoon with a bag on its head." Another said, "This is the level of president they wanted and there he is making a fool of himself every day. Impossible that they want to defend it." A third chimed in claiming, "That engineer took the piss. Check that your thesis has not been hacked. That photo was published on February 5, 2021. Here is the link:" A fourth commented, "V3RGA!!!! You don't give a blessed countdown, 22 more months and never again!" A fifth tweeted, "What a normal president, how healthy everything is, how timely and no false information."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.