The Mexican president publishes a picture of what he claims is a dwarf

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president posted an image to his social media accounts on Saturday showing what he said appeared to be a mythical forest spirit resembling an elf.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador didn’t seem to be joking when he posted a photo of “Alux,” a mischievous forest spirit in Mayan folklore.

The photo was “taken by an engineer three days ago, and it looks luxurious,” López Obrador wrote, adding that “everything is mystical.”

The night image shows a tree with a branch forming what looks like a halo of hair, and what could be stars forming the figure’s eyes.

López Obrador has always expressed respect for indigenous cultures and beliefs. Engineers and workers in the Yucatan Peninsula, building a tourist train is the president’s favorite project.

According to traditional Mayan beliefs, “Aluxes” are mischievous little creatures that live in forests and fields and tend to play tricks on people, such as hiding things. Some people leave small offerings to appease them.

The ancient Maya civilization peaked from 300 to 900 AD in the Yucatan Peninsula and in adjacent parts of Central America, but the descendants of the Maya continue to live on the peninsula.

Many continue to speak the Mayan language and wear traditional clothing, while also maintaining traditional foods, crops, religion, and medical practices, despite the region’s conquest by the Spanish between 1527 and 1546.