By Tim Binnall
A peculiar piece of footage making the rounds on Mexican social media shows what some have suggested is a goblin briefly appearing from behind a young girl, though not everyone is convinced the curious scene is on the level. According to a local media report, the odd video was posted on Instagram last week by Sergio Castrejón, the brother of an enormously popular YouTuber known as Yuya. In the strange scene, said to have been filmed in the town of Huautla de Jiménez, a diminutive figure appears to pop its head out from behind the legs of a girl he identified as his niece. Castrejón indicated that the "mysterious being" was only noticed later when her family watched the video, which would explain why the youngster seemed unaware of the weirdness unfolding at her feet.
To his credit, Castrejón stressed that he was skeptical of the footage and noted that he immediately checked to see if it could have been AI-generated, but found that it was not the case. He also mused that the perceived goblin could be a trick of light and shadow before ultimately asking if anyone could provide clarity on the confounding footage. To that end, while Castrejón's popularity pales in comparison to his celebrity sister, he is something of an online influencer himself, with more than one million followers on Instagram. As such, the perplexing video quickly went viral on Mexican social media and sparked a debate over the veracity of the scene.
Although some viewers argued that the footage showed a genuine goblin peering out from behind Castrejón's niece, a more plausible theory was put forward by observers who recognized the location of the scene as the Museo de los Duendes, an attraction in San Miguel Regla that celebrates the folkloric figures. The museum is said to feature 'caves' similar to the setting where the girl is standing, and, in those spots, small models of elves and other elemental beings pop out in a manner strikingly similar to the way the 'goblin' reveals itself in the video. Whether Castrejón was hoodwinked by his family or in on what was almost certainly a hoax is uncertain, as he has yet to respond to the mystery seemingly being solved.