Obviously the story's author was having some fun with this story.
Authorities in Mexico have slapped a "closure" order on a 10-foot aquatic statue of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon that was erected in May in the Gulf of Mexico just off the town of Progreso, Yucatan.
Mexico's environmental protection agency said July 11 that the statue, which appears to show an angry trident-wielding Poseidon "rising" from the sea a few meters from the beach, lacked permits. In the few months it has been up, tourists had gathered to take pictures of themselves with it as a striking background.
But it was symbolically "closed" July 11 — and could be removed altogether — after a group of activist lawyers filed a legal complaint saying the statue offended the beliefs of local Maya Indigenous groups who prefer their own local god of water, known as Chaac.
It's always been dangerous for humans to get involved in battles between deities. But this one appears to be about present-day humanity, combining "cancel culture," social media storms, lawsuits and the one truly fearsome, overpowering force in today's world: Instagram selfie-fueled tourism.
True to form, Mexico social media users took to, well, social media, to crow about the decision, with at least a dozen posting slogans like "Chaac 1, Poseidon 0."
Mexico 'cancels' statue of Greek god Poseidon after dispute with local deity
The gods must be angry — or just laughing at the hubris of humanity.Authorities in Mexico have slapped a "closure" order on a 10-foot aquatic statue of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon that was erected in May in the Gulf of Mexico just off the town of Progreso, Yucatan.
Mexico's environmental protection agency said July 11 that the statue, which appears to show an angry trident-wielding Poseidon "rising" from the sea a few meters from the beach, lacked permits. In the few months it has been up, tourists had gathered to take pictures of themselves with it as a striking background.
But it was symbolically "closed" July 11 — and could be removed altogether — after a group of activist lawyers filed a legal complaint saying the statue offended the beliefs of local Maya Indigenous groups who prefer their own local god of water, known as Chaac.
It's always been dangerous for humans to get involved in battles between deities. But this one appears to be about present-day humanity, combining "cancel culture," social media storms, lawsuits and the one truly fearsome, overpowering force in today's world: Instagram selfie-fueled tourism.
True to form, Mexico social media users took to, well, social media, to crow about the decision, with at least a dozen posting slogans like "Chaac 1, Poseidon 0."
