A recent episode surrounding a social post by the Mexican president sparked ridicule and debate after he shared an image he described as depicting an elf-like forest being. The report traces back to Business Insider India, which highlighted the president’s online activity and the public reaction that followed.
The post, dated February 26, featured on the president’s official Facebook page, showed a dark figure perched in a tree with striking white hair and bright eyes. The caption claimed the images captured two moments from ongoing work on the Maya train project, one photographed by an engineer three days earlier and another by Diego Prieto, described as a remarkable piece reminiscent of a pre-Hispanic sculpture in Ek Balam. The president added that the surroundings conveyed a sense of mysticism.
In Mayan lore, aluxes are described as small, elf-like beings believed to inhabit forests and fields in the Yucatán region and parts of Guatemala. These legends portray aluxes as mischievous, sometimes playing tricks on people, a characterization that aligns with similar folklore found in other cultures about forest spirits and fairies.
A journalist weighed in on the conversation, noting that the same image had surfaced on social media as early as February 2021. The journalist pressed the president to consider the possibility that the post was not new and suggested that repeating such claims could mislead audiences.
The president’s tweet quickly gained traction, drawing a mix of bewilderment, humor, and skepticism from viewers. By the time the matter was being discussed widely, the post had been viewed millions of times, signaling a broad public interest in how traditional folklore intersects with modern infrastructure projects and political messaging.
Meanwhile, discussions around the broader topic surged in the public sphere, with observers reflecting on how iconography and myth can shape perceptions of national projects and leadership. The episode highlighted a trend in which cultural motifs and historic imagery are invoked in contemporary contexts, sometimes to emphasize national identity or to frame a narrative about progress and heritage. The response, which ranged from serious critique to light-hearted mockery, underscored the differing expectations audiences hold for public figures when they engage with folklore and symbolic content.
It is important to note that the dialogue about aluxes and their place in modern Mexico often surfaces in cultural conversations that explore the boundaries between myth and contemporary life. Scholars and commentators alike have pointed out how such legends continue to inform storytelling, tourism, and the interpretation of public projects, even as communities navigate the realities of development and policy. The incident thus becomes a case study in how folklore can become a lens through which people interpret leadership, credibility, and national ambition, especially when presented through social media channels that amplify emotion and instant reactions.