The INAH's claim will be addressed to the company responsible for the recording: Diego Prieto

Reyes Martínez Torrijos

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, May 15, 2025, p. 4

Anthropologist Diego Prieto, director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), told La Jornada that the actions of American YouTuber MrBeast in archaeological sites in southeastern Mexico are an administrative matter, since there is no physical damage to the archaeological heritage, that is, it does not constitute a crime for violating the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Sites .

However, he added that the businessman's conduct violated the terms the institute had granted in good faith: authorization for recordings being used for advertising, of which we were not notified. We have evidence that this is commercial advertising, and they never gave us their project with the script and outline .

Prieto commented that before imposing sanctions, which the institute doesn't impose, we'll see if we can reach a compensatory agreement. We'll contact the production company to find solutions .

Regarding what Layda Sansores, governor of Campeche, said, "If there is any disagreement with the federal Ministry of Culture, they should bring it to the attention of her government," the anthropologist stated: "I cannot address the government of Campeche except to greet my friend Layda Sansores, whom I appreciate. I am not going to complain to her, but rather to the private company (Full Circle Media) responsible for the montages, falsifications, and commercial exploitation of the material ."

In an interview with SPR Informa on Tuesday, the official considered that there is a somewhat colonialist attitude on the part of these producers, as if they were doing us a favor, which is not true. They are engaging in lucrative activities, riding on the prestige, cultural power, grandeur, and monumentality of these ancient sites in the Mexican Mayan region .

Prieto recounted that, in response to an initial request from the American businessman's team, the INAH rejected actions that were impossible to authorize, such as closing the aforementioned sites to the public for three days, descending by helicopter, and accessing areas off-limits to the public .

The YouTuber then went to the authorities of the governments of Campeche and Yucatán, as well as the federal Ministry of Tourism, to whom he sold the idea that with his video he would make these heritage sites known to the general public .

According to the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments and Zones and its Regulations, permission to film or videotape in INAH zones, monuments, and museums requires a fee of 15,334 pesos per day. The multimillionaire influencer reportedly recorded for at least three days.

The law stipulates that the permit application process requires the submission of the script and a written statement to the institute's National Coordination of Legal Affairs with a synopsis of the project. A storyboard and dummy (a sketch containing all the visual elements to be used) could be added.

Prieto emphasized that there were falsehoods in the video, such as the claim that they never arrived by helicopter, that no drone footage was taken, and that they had no access to any archaeological artifacts. He maintained that no damage was caused to cultural heritage during the recordings.

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast , has faced lawsuits for various reasons. One of them was against his food company, Feastables, which was accused of infringing a competitor's trademark. The influencer 's company lost.

Late last year, it faced another sweeping lawsuit over its game show, Beast Games , which some contestants said made them individually and collectively suffer from an environment that systematically fostered a culture of misogyny and sexism , as well as various situations that put competitors' health and well-being at risk.

Alonso Urrutia and Emir Olivares

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, May 15, 2025, p. 4

In response to the controversy surrounding the video made by YouTuber MrBeast in restricted archaeological zones, President Claudia Sheinbaum maintained that the information she had indicated that he had permission from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to make the video, and that, if applicable, provisions were violated, appropriate sanctions must be imposed.

When asked about the criticisms, the president said: "If you enter a place protected by the INAH, you have to receive permission to broadcast, and I understand that in this case there was permission ."

However, Sheinbaum pointed out that the content in this case will have to be reviewed, so we will have to wait for the INAH to promptly report the terms under which the authorization was granted and, if the permit was violated, what sanctions will follow .

▲ The jury declared that writer Eduardo Mendoza is a source of happiness for readers . Photo Europa Press

Armando G. Tejeda

Correspondent

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, May 15, 2025, p. 5

Madrid. Spanish writer Eduardo Mendoza was chosen by the jury as the new Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, an award that in previous years has gone to authors of the stature of Haruki Murakami, Anne Carson, Richard Ford, Leonardo Padura, Philip Roth, Leonardo Cohen, Juan Rulfo, and Carlos Fuentes, among others. Mendoza is a Barcelona-born author who has chronicled with critical humor one of the most tragic periods in contemporary Spanish history: the post-war period of hunger and repression. Upon hearing the news, Mendoza simply stated: "I need time to find the right words. Excited, honored, and grateful seem appropriate, but obvious. I have dedicated my entire life to what I love most, and now I receive this very special award. I am a happy man ."

The jury, composed of writers and intellectuals such as Xuan Bello Fernández, María Sheila Cremaschi, María Dueñas Vinuesa, Jesús García Calero, Marisol Schulz Manaut, and Sergio Vila-Sanjuán Robert, and chaired by Santiago Muñoz Machado, president of the Royal Spanish Academy, announced its decision after meeting in the Asturian capital, Oviedo. In their justification, they highlighted Eduardo Mendoza's decisive contribution to Spanish-language literature over the last half-century, with a collection of novels that combine a desire for innovation with an ability to reach a very wide audience, and which enjoy widespread international recognition . They also noted that his clear prose encompasses both popular language and the most unexpected cultivated expressions. His books are distinguished by their sense of humor and their casual, humanistic vision of existence. Eduardo Mendoza is a provider of happiness for readers, and his work has the merit of reaching all generations, who today recognize themselves in its luminous pages .

Mendoza, born in Barcelona in 1943, has worked in various genres, especially novels, plays, and essays, but he has also worked as a translator. He began his academic career as a law student, which he completed in 1965 at the University of Barcelona. After traveling throughout Europe, he obtained a scholarship to London in 1966 to study sociology. Upon returning to Barcelona in 1967, he practiced law, and in 1973 he moved to New York to work as a translator for the UN, where he remained until 1982. In 1983, he returned to Barcelona and continued his career as a simultaneous translator for international organizations based in Geneva and other cities.

Satire and parody

Eduardo Mendoza's work, generally set in Barcelona and which began with the publication of the novel The Truth About the Savolta Case in 1975, displays a style that blends elements of science fiction, Gothic and noir fiction, as well as a particular sense of humor, satire, and parody.

He later published The Mystery of the Haunted Crypt (1979), The Labyrinth of Olives (1982), The City of Marvels (1986), The Unheard-of Island (1989), No News from Gur b (1991), The Year of the Flood (1992), A Light Comedy (1996), The Adventure of the Ladies' Dressing Room (2001), The Amazing Journey of Pomponio Flato (2008), The Entanglement of the Stock Market and Life (2012), as well as The Secret of the Lost Model (2015).

In addition to the Cervantes Prize, which he received in 2016, Mendoza became the first Spanish author to receive the Kafka Prize in 2015.

A total of 24 candidates representing 16 nationalities were nominated for the Princess of Asturias Awards for Literature in this year's edition. This was the second of eight Princess of Asturias Awards presented this year, the 45th edition. The first was the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, awarded to the German philosopher and essayist of South Korean origin, Byung-Chul Han. The presentation ceremony will be held in Oviedo next October.

From the editorial staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, May 15, 2025, p. 5

Starting today, authors, publishers, artists, and cultural promoters will face fewer bureaucratic obstacles to protecting their works, thanks to the entry into force of an agreement by the National Copyright Institute (Indautor), which simplifies and consolidates various procedures.

Among the most significant changes are the elimination of the requirement to submit simple copies for numerous procedures, the merging of procedures that were previously handled separately, and the digitization of applications such as the assignment of the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), which can now be submitted exclusively through the institute's website.

The agreement, published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, also updates the requirements and creates new formats for processes such as the annulment or cancellation of copyright reservations, facilitating access to legal tools to resolve disputes regarding titles, stage names, and periodical publications.

The document signed by Karina Luján Luján, Director General of Indautor, establishes that these measures are part of a national policy of regulatory improvement that seeks to reduce administrative burdens for creators and cultural managers.

In addition, a commitment was made to adapt the institute's internal systems within 180 business days.

This reform is expected to bring greater efficiency and transparency to copyright protection, which could particularly benefit independent creators, publishing groups, cultural promoters, and artists across the country.