Mexico has demanded compensation from MrBeast following a controversial video filmed in ancient temples.
Officials denied that the YouTuber was granted for-profit access to the temples.
Since the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) spoke out, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has changed the title of his video from ‘I Survived 100 Hours In An Ancient Temple’ to ‘I Explored 2000 Year Old Ancient Temples’.
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In a statement, the INAH said: “The visit and recording of the archaeological sites of Calakmul, Campeche, and Chichén Itzá and Balamcanché, Yucatán, were carried out in accordance with formal requests made by the federal Ministry of Tourism and the governments of the two aforementioned states.”
Contrary to what appears in the video, the INAH also claimed that ‘no drone flight’ at Chichén Itzá was carried out inside El Castillo, arguing that this was ‘falsely reported in the video’.
Instead, the institute said that the flight took place outside of the structure.
The INAH continued: “It should be noted that the video evidently involves extensive audiovisual post-production work and alludes to events that never occurred. For example, the producers never descended from a helicopter, spent the night inside the archaeological site, or possessed a pre-Hispanic mask, as the one presented is clearly a contemporary reproduction.
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“All of these are false assertions that reflect the theatricality of the YouTuber in question.”
Last Wednesday (May 14), Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum called for an investigation into the conditions where the filming permit had been granted.
In a statement, Mexico’s Secretary of Culture Claudia Curiel de Icaza said: “We disapprove of any commercial pursuit that distorts the value of archaeological sites, which are a legacy of our indigenous cultures and the pride of our nation.”
Instead, she said that the country was open to content being produced that contributes to the ‘knowledge and dissemination of Mexico’s archaeological and cultural heritage’ rather than those who ‘take advantage of the willingness of institutions’.
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Now, Mexico is seeking compensation from the producers of the MrBeast video.
Donaldson has also spoken out on social media.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the YouTuber said: “I’ve seen a lot of stories about our recent video in Mexico and wanted to clear some false things being said. Me and my team have great respect for the Mexican and Mayan culture and people. We did this video to get people all over the world excited to learn more about their culture, much like we did with our Pyramids video.
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“We are not and have never been sued by them lol. That is false and it saddens me to see people spreading lies. We filmed with full permits, followed guidelines, had representatives from government agencies following us, Mexican archeologists to make sure we were accurate, AND representatives from the sites to ensure we were following the rules.”
His full statement can be read here.