Mexican president goes viral for claim he has photo proof of mythical woodland elf

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The president of Mexico is going viral after he posted a photo to social media he said shows a mythical woodland elf of Mayan folklore.

“Everything is mystical,” Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said in a Twitter post Saturday, accompanied by two photos, including one that the president says shows an “aluxe.”

According to traditional Mayan belief, “aluxes” are small, mischievous creatures that inhabit forests and fields and are prone to playing tricks on people, like hiding things. Some people leave small offerings to appease them.

Obrador has racked up nearly 5 million views on the post as of Sunday. One photo in the post shows a pre-Hispanic sculpture in Ek Balam, a Yucatec-Maya archaeological site, while the other photo shows a nighttime shot of what appears to be a creature in a tree with glowing eyes.

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Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says he has proof of an  “aluxe.”  (Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador/Twitter)

It does not appear the president was joking in his Twitter post. 

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The photo of the alleged aluxe was taken last week by an engineer at the construction site of a new train railway in the Yucatan peninsula, according to Obrador. The railway is being constructed to transport tourists to and from popular destinations, including Mayan ruins.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during a ceremony in Mexico City, Aug. 13, 2021. (AP)

The post has set off mockery and astonishment among some Twitter users, including speculation that the creature in the tree is actually just an animal.

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President Joe Biden, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meet at the National Palace in Mexico City, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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Other users posted screenshots appearing to show the photo is old and was previously used in other news stories in 2021.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.