By Paige Duane
A few weeks ago, when President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador posted a photo of what he alleged to be “a mischievous woodland spirit”, he did not seem to be joking.
Posted on his social media accounts on Saturday February 18, Mexico’s president shared an image of an “aluxe”, a creature of Mayan Folklore similar to an elf. In addition to the picture, he wrote that the photo “was taken three days ago by an engineer, it appears to be an aluxe” and that “everything is mystical”.
The picture was taken at night of what appears to be a dark figure in a tree. The creature has two glowing eyes. However, many have speculated that the photo is edited or a result of poor lighting.
According to Mayan folklore, “‘aluxes’ are small, mischievous creatures that inhabit forests and fields and are prone to playing tricks on people”.
López Obrador has long expressed an interest in Mayan traditions and customs. Presently, he is working on constructing a tourist train on the Yucatan Peninsula, a pet project of his. Some have theorized that posting the photo of the “aluxe” was an effort to attract tourists.
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