A 10ft-tall statue of the Greek god of the sea erected in Mexico has been “closed” and could be removed altogether because it offends the beliefs of local indigenous groups.
The statue depicts a trident-wielding Poseidon appearing to rise from the sea metres from the beach near the town of Progreso, Yucatan.
But Mexico’s environmental protection agency said the statue lacked permits and it was symbolically “closed” on Thursday after a group of activist lawyers filed a legal complaint saying the statue of the Greek god offended the beliefs of local Maya indigenous groups who have their own god of water, Chaac.
“Poseidon is a Greek god who is alien to our Maya culture,” the legal complaint filed against the statue says.
“I have a human right for my Maya culture to be preserved.”
Carlos Morales, whose Indigenous Strategic Litigation group brought the complaint, told the Associated Press he wants the statue removed “because it is foreign to the Maya culture, and because it did not meet the requirements” of getting an environmental permit.
Under Mexican law, any building project that could alter the ecosystem must file impact statements and receive approval.
Typically, Mexico’s environmental protection agency issues a fine or orders environmental studies before a project is allowed to continue. Only rarely do authorities order removal or demolition.
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The statue had been erected by the Progreso municipal government without proof of environmental impact studies, the environmental protection office acknowledged.
It said it would “continue the administrative process [regarding the statue] to determine the appropriate actions.”