Mexico City, Mexico — The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) says a YouTuber who videoed inside three archaeological zones had permits. They also called several of the claims made by Mr.Beast in his videos after the visits “false assertions” and “distorted information.”
The INAH said his video claims of descending from a helicopter, spending the night inside the archaeological site, or possessing a pre-Hispanic mask “reflect the theatricality of the YouTuber in question.”
The clarification was made after YouTuber Mr.Beast (Jimmy Donaldson) visited the archaeological zones of Calakmul, Balamcanché and Chichén Itzá. Videos of his visits were published online May 10, which lead to the Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Historia (INAH) conducting an investigation since videoing is not permitted without permits.
Regarding the video published on YouTube by Mr.Beast on May 10, 2025, the INAH reported that “the visit and recording of the archaeological sites of Calakmul in the state of Campeche and Chichén Itzá and Balamcanché in the state of Yucatán, were carried out in accordance with formal requests made by the federal Ministry of Tourism and the governments of the two aforementioned states.
“The permits were processed through the National Coordination of Legal Affairs of the INAH, which determined the applicable rights in accordance with the law.
“The tours were conducted in publicly accessible areas without disrupting visitor access. In the case of Calakmul, the substructure of Building II was also visited. Although not permanently open to the public, it does provide access by arranging a scheduled visit with advance justification, as is the case with tours conducted with the communities surrounding the archaeological site.
“In the case of Chichén Itzá, we clarify that no drone flight was carried out inside El Castillo, as falsely reported in the video. the flight took place outside the structure.
“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.
“All of these are false assertions that reflect the theatricality of the YouTuber in question,” they said in an official statement.
“The INAH confirms that at all times during the recordings, institute personnel were monitoring compliance with established safety and security measures and ensuring that no damage was done to the archaeological heritage.
“The INAH believes that, despite the distorted information offered by the YouTuber , the dissemination of this type of material can motivate interest in young audiences in Mexico and around the world to learn about our ancestral cultures and visit archaeological sites that are a valuable national heritage, approaching interpretations attached to scientific knowledge and due appreciation of our original cultures.”
Since the INAH release, President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the controversy following the video publication recorded in the protected areas of Chichén Itzá.
Sheinbaum confirmed that the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) granted the necessary permits for its production, however, she was emphatic that a detailed review will be made of whether the American influencer violated any agreement with the institute.
“It’s not that he entered without INAH permission; we’re going to make him tell us under what conditions he was granted permission,” she stated. “If any violation or misuse is confirmed, the government will take action and could impose sanctions.”
