Poseidon Adventure: Feds Enter Progreso’s Statue Controversy
Progreso’s City Council in learning how problematic it is to erect a statue representing Greek mythology in the land of the Maya.
And now, Progreso’s Poseidon statue has been “closed” to the public.
Progreso authorities have spent years spiffing up the coastline with benches, rides, boardwalks, and artwork. But they may have gone too far when their statue of the Greek god of the sea appeared in a tidal area.
Residents, some facetious and others not so much, blamed Poseidon for angering Chaac, the Maya god of rain. When Hurricane Beryl approached the Yucatán Peninsula, online chatter put the blame on this sacrilege.
Generated by AI, some images on social media depict an angry mob tearing the statue apart. Yes, it still stands, attracting curious tourists. Some memes were jokes, but at least one indigenous resident has filed an injunction against the statue. A protest rally was planned for Monday.
The statue ties in with a basketball court, a “Poseidon” skate park, an open-air gym, and a soccer field.
In comes the federal environmental agency SEMARNAT, which has put the statue’s fate in limbo. That means the beach surrounding it is off-limits to the public at the international boardwalk and El Playón beach. There could be legal issues around installing a structure in federal waters just feet from the high-tide line.
The kerfuffle has made international news, even spreading across wire services in the US, Europe and the Americas.
