Jacobo Wong talks to Roberto Martínez about fraud in Chichén Itzá
Jacobo Wong, a YouTuber who frequently collaborates in Roberto Martínez’s podcasts, known for being one of the pioneers in this format and whose space he calls “Creative”, exposed what for him was a fraud in Chichén Itzá and described it as a bittersweet experience in Yucatan after his visit to one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
What happened to Jacobo Wong at Chichen Itza?
Jacobo narrates that he went to visit the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá with two other couples and, once they arrived at the town of Pisté, several operators approached them to offer them a tour of the archaeological zone for a cost of $900.
In his interview with Roberto Martínez, he clarifies that everyone who approached him had identification from the Tourism Secretariat (Sectur).
Jacobo points out that the operators told him: “If you don’t hire the tour you will see stones (referring to the archaeological monuments) and you won’t understand what it is” so in the end, the three couples decided to hire the service paying $300 each. .
Details of the “scam” in Chichen Itza
After they booked the tour, according to Jacobo, they entered the archaeological zone and all was well, they explained how many steps the pyramid of Kukulcán has, the sound of applause that bounces and emulates the sound of the Quetzal and, until that moment, everything was good.
As the minutes passed “the tour began to get a little lazy” and he even comments that they explained to him that in the ball game field the guide (he commented was a woman) told them that they played soccer there. When questioned about what was happening or how the event happened, the guide only commented that they played there and the team that won was sacrificed.
Later, the YouTuber continues the story, pointing to another place and saying: “there they killed people” which did not seem to the driver anymore and he tried to ask without receiving a deep, prepared or at least studied answer from the guide.
Complaints after visiting Chichen Itza
In addition to the bad experience of the tour guide, the tour only lasted a maximum of 20 minutes. At the end of this, Jacobo comments that he walked through the area and listened to the explanation of other tour guides who offered the tour and each one had something different to tell. For example, some said that the winners of the ball game were sacrificed, others that the losers, for which they expressed their disagreement that the real information is not provided to tourists.
Another of the observations he made during the program was about the treatment given to the area, since he considers it should be treated like a museum. Additionally, he complained about the double ticket that you have to pay at the entrance and it is uncomfortable, according to his experience, for the tourist.
Jacobo also mentioned the sale of souvenirs throughout the archaeological zone, but above all that they are selling near the pyramid and that the vendors themselves begin to play tricks on tourists as they pass by with the sounds of the jaguar.
After his bad experience, Jacobo went to Celestún the next day to see flamingos and while there, he talked with another guide about his bad experience the previous day at Chichén Itzá, to which they told him that there were people who bought permits to be able to offer that type of services in the archaeological zone without any knowledge or preparation.
Chichen Itza History of FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES
October 31, 2021
A case of the sale of false tickets for the show “Noches de Kukulcán” in Chichén Itzá through an apocryphal page on Facebook was reported by the Patronato Cultur and they ask the population to remain alert so as not to fall into this fraud.
A group of seven tourists who came to the show presented false tickets, but these were purchased through a Facebook page whose address is: https://www.facebook.com/chichenitzaestuyo/
Given this situation, the director of the Patronato Cultur, Mauricio Díaz Montalvo, asked to stay alert since these tickets are not sold through this social network.
“It is a scam because this electronic service is not available; please avoid buying tickets of this type, since they are not authorized and it is totally fraudulent”, he indicated.
For now, Díaz Montalvo pointed out that the Legal Directorate of the Cultural Board will present a complaint tomorrow to the corresponding authorities.
12/12/2021
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) warned future visitors to Chichen Itza not to fall for an alleged scam that began to circulate on social networks, where hot air balloon flights were offered over the archaeological zone.
For this reason, the state agency warned about the danger for potential users of the trip by not allowing the excursion that was scheduled for December 18 and 19, because they did not have any type of authorization.
In this sense, the INAH explained that the hot air balloons did not have the permission of the institute just as they lacked the validation of Civil Protection and Civil Aeronautics, because overflights through the region of cultural heritage are prohibited.
12/17/2020
“In Chichén Itzá there is a situation of corruption and fraud in ticketing” and the sale of packages of up to 5 thousand pesos to enter prohibited places
“In Chichén Itzá there is a situation of corruption and fraud in ticketing. But now it is reaching a much higher level with the sale of packages of up to 5 thousand pesos that enter through the back door,” denounces Andrés Morgan Medina, Coordinator of the National Collective of Tourist Guides and president of the Union of Tourist Guides. Borrowers of the AC Republic
In a report by Reporte Indigo it is stated that for five thousand pesos those who acquire these tickets are allowed to have access to spaces that are normally confined for reasons of preservation of cultural heritage, such as: climbing the Kukulkan pyramid or even entering to the same. It also happens with the Observatory and other sites that are confined for tourism.
This is what Andrés Morgan Medina denounces, Coordinator of the National Collective of Tourist Guides and president of the Union of Accredited Tourist Guides of the Republic AC, according to a statement from Reporte Índigo.
“In this case they enter outside visiting hours and to places that are prohibited. They arrange directly with the director of the place, Marco Antonio Santos Ramírez, and in collusion with some tourist guides, “special packages” are sold for amounts of 5 thousand pesos or more, he says.
“Those who really allow this are INAH officials. And so it is in all archaeological zones. They are the custodians, the director of the zone and even the administrative area of the same”, denounced Morgan Medina.
Source: laverdadnoticias.com, yucatan.com.mx