Controversy Surrounds YouTuber MrBeast’s Visit to Mexico’s Archaeological Sites
A recent visit by popular YouTuber MrBeast to Mexico’s archaeological sites has sparked controversy and raised questions about the permits and permissions required for such activities.
According to a report by CNN, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, published a video on May 10th in which he visited some of Mexico’s most important archaeological sites, including Chichén Itzá in the state of Yucatán, home to the Temple of Kukulkan pyramid, known as El Castillo, one of the seven wonders of the modern world. The video, which has accumulated more than 55 million views, shows MrBeast and his team in the surroundings of Kukulkan, but also inside other archaeological structures, in cenotes and temples.
The CNN report states that some of these sites are not permanently accessible to the public, as the Mexican government has acknowledged. The controversy centers on the fact that the YouTuber was allowed entry to sites considered sacred to Mexico’s pre-Hispanic cultures, which in many cases are restricted. In one part of the video, MrBeast himself says: “I can’t believe the government is letting us do this. It’s truly crazy. Not even archaeologists are allowed in here.”
In response to the controversy, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) – an agency attached to the Mexican government’s Ministry of Culture – declared on Monday that both the visit and the recording were carried out through “formal requests.” These requests, however, were not made by MrBeast, but rather by “the federal Ministry of Tourism and the governments of” Yucatán and Campeche, the INAH indicated. In the description of his video, MrBeast claims that the publication is a “collaboration with the Mexican Ministry of Tourism.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that there were permits for the “broadcast,” but asked the INAH to report “under what conditions this permit was granted.” “And if the permit was violated, then (it must be determined) what sanctions apply,” the president added.
The CNN report also highlights that other points have caused controversy, such as a drone shot that appears to be inside the temple at the top of El Castillo in Chichén Itzá. Regarding this, the INAH said that this did not occur and that the shot was in fact recorded outside the structure. There are also scenes where MrBeast appears to descend to the archaeological sites by helicopter or where he holds a pre-Hispanic mask in his hands.
The INAH stated that, while institute personnel were supervising MrBeast’s activities at all times, access was granted to an area that is not permanently accessible to the general public. “The tours were conducted in publicly accessible areas without affecting visitor access. In the case of Calakmul, the substructure of the Structure II was also visited. Although it is not permanently open to the public, it does provide access by arranging a scheduled visit in advance and with justification, as is the case with tours conducted with the communities surrounding the archaeological site,” it said in its Monday statement.
Exploring, filming, and broadcasting in Mexican archaeological sites is a restricted activity that few are allowed to do. The INAH stated that, although the YouTuber’s video offers “distorted” information, its dissemination “may motivate interest among young audiences in Mexico and around the world to learn about our ancestral cultures and visit archaeological sites.”
Federal Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza spoke out against the activities carried out by MrBeast and his team at the archaeological sites. “This isn’t the first time this type of incident has happened, and it’s been clarified. Of course we don’t agree, and of course there will be appropriate sanctions because that’s not what these spaces are for,” Curiel de Icaza said Tuesday at a decorative and utilitarian art event.
As reported by CNN, CNN has reached out to MrBeast for comment. The incident has raised questions about the ease of obtaining permits for filming and exploring Mexico’s archaeological sites, and the measures in place to protect these cultural and historical sites.
The visit and subsequent controversy have sparked a wider conversation about the balance between cultural preservation and the increasing popularity of social media influencers and content creators. As more individuals and organizations seek to explore and showcase Mexico’s rich cultural heritage, it remains to be seen how authorities will navigate the complexities of permitting and protecting these sites.
The INAH and Mexican government officials are yet to provide further details on the permits and permissions granted for MrBeast’s visit, but it is clear that this incident has brought attention to the need for greater transparency and regulation in this area.
According to CNN, it is understood that; In September 2024, the INAH responded to a request for citizen information requesting the “requirements and steps” necessary to enter the Kukulkan pyramid at Chichén Itzá. In this request, the director of the Chichén Itzá Archaeological Zone, José Francisco Javier Osorio León, mentions that “in accordance” with the provisions of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments and Zones, “all types of material work to discover or explore archaeological monuments will only be carried out by the National Institute of Anthropology and History or by scientific institutions or those of recognized moral standing, with prior authorization.”
In response, and as reported by CNN , likewise, Article 31 of this law states that the authorizations granted by the INAH must specify “the terms and conditions to which the work must be subject, as well as the obligations of those who carry it out.”
