“Guatemala’s Mayan people accused the government and tour groups of perpetuating the myth that their calendar foresees the imminent end of the world for monetary gain. ‘We are speaking out against deceit, lies and twisting of the truth, and turning us into folklore-for-profit. They are not telling the truth about time cycles,’ charged Felipe Gomez, leader of the Maya alliance Oxlaljuj Ajpop. Several films and documentaries have promoted the idea that the ancient Mayan calendar predicts that doomsday is less than two months away, on December 21, 2012… Maya leader Gomez urged the Tourism Institute to rethink the doomsday celebration, which he criticized as a ‘show’ that was disrespectful to Mayan culture. Experts say that for the Maya, all that ends in 2012 is one of their calendar cycles, not the world.” w/ photos
