MEXICO CITY (AP) — The gods must be angry — or simply laughing at humanity’s arrogance.
Authorities in Mexico have issued a “closure” order for a 3-meter-high water sculpture of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon that was erected in May in the Gulf of Mexico near the Yucatan city of Progreso.
Mexico’s environmental protection agency said Thursday night that the statue, which appears to show an angry, trident-wielding Poseidon rising from the sea a few meters from the beach, had no permits. In the few months it was up, tourists have gathered to take pictures of themselves with the statue as a striking backdrop.
But it was symbolically “closed” on Thursday – and could be removed altogether – after a group of activist lawyers filed a legal complaint saying the statue of the Greek offended the beliefs of local Maya indigenous groups who favor their own local god of water, known as Chaac.
It has always been dangerous for humans to get involved in battles between gods. But this one seems to be all about modern-day humanity, a combination of cancel culture, social media storms, lawsuits, and the one truly terrifying, overwhelming force in the world today: Instagram selfie-powered tourism.
As usual, Mexican social media users took to social media en masse to cheer the decision, with at least a dozen slogans like “Chaac One, Poseidon Zero.”
There are arguments for both sides.
“Poseidon is a Greek god who is foreign to our Mayan culture,” reads the legal complaint recently filed against the statue. “I have a human right to have my Mayan culture preserved.” The group of lawyers who filed the complaint did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The complaint also mentions the alleged lack of permits.
Technically, under Mexican law, any construction project that could alter the ecosystem must submit impact reports and receive approval, although the government routinely violates its own rules and often slaps the little-feared “closure” stickers on private projects long after the damage has been done.
The Environmental Protection Office said the Poseidon statue was erected by the Progreso municipal government without environmental impact studies. The office said it would “continue the administrative process (regarding the statue) to determine the appropriate actions.”
But the federal government, little known for its concern for the environmentseems to respond more to pressure groups.
Critics of the statue cite a series of recent storms in and around the Gulf — Tropical Storm Alberto in June and Hurricane Beryl this week — as evidence that Chaac, a fanged, hook-nosed god who isn’t quite as Instagram-friendly as Poseidon, is angry.
Defenders of the statue, which strikingly depicts the body of Poseidon rising mightily from a relatively calm, open stretch of water near the beach, have their arguments too, though they may not hold up well in court: it’s beautiful and it’s good for business.
“It’s an attraction for our city and it draws attention,” said Lizeth Alvarado Juárez, 28, a hotel worker in Progreso. “There are people who come from Merida (the state capital) to see the Poseidon.”
Battles between the gods aren’t what they used to be. “It’s all about the memes,” Alvarado Juárez said.
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