Mayan Doomsday: Argentina’s Uritorco Hill Closed After Mass Suicide Threat

A Mayan priestess prays during a ceremony marking the Mayan solar new year. (AP)

As the world awaits so-called Mayan Doomsday on December 21st, many throughout the globe are opting for extreme ways to prepare for what some believe will be the end of civilization. In the case of Argentina, several were reportedly preparing a mass suicide on the highly talked about day.

News site Clarín is reporting an event created by an anonymous person on Facebook was inviting people to “a spiritual magical suicide on December 21 at 21:12 on Uritorco Hill.” The event allegedly received about 150 virtual RSVPs from people, prompting the owners to shut down the site and ban access on Dec. 21.

On the event page, it said: “To all believers, beings and warriors of the light, I invite you to a spiritual suicide en masse in Uritorco, Cordoba, Argentina. We will abandon our unclean flesh and transport our spirit through the inter dimensional portal at 21 hours, 12 minutes on 21/12/2012 and from this will be created an army of light that will save humanity…in this change of era.”

“The truth is that we have been working on the issue ever since we first learned about,” said Rafael García Pérez, head of Uritorco Hill, to Clarín. “We are concerned that while it may be a joke, you never know what could happen.”

The post was forwarded to the Capilla del Monte police department.

The Anchorena family, noted for being private owners of Uritorco Hill, have reportedly contacted their lawyer, who advised them not to open the tourist site that day. Gustavo Sez, the mayor of Capilla del Monte, also organized meetings on the issue.

“We do not want to be too careless or contribute to any action that may collaborate with such ideas, however crazy they said,” said Garcia, adding that “the priority is always to safeguard every visitor.”

Sources close to the family told Clarín that there was about a “97% chance” the site will not be open on that date. However, the bar-restaurant, which is featured nearby, will stay open, as well as scheduled mass meditations.

This is not the first time Uritorco Hill has sparked interests among visitors. Back in 1986, a flash of light left a 120 X 70 meter mark on one side. Since then, many believed to have spotted UFOs.

This year, the Cordoba region, located in the center of Argentina, is expecting a tourist boom of about 150,000. A major concern among officials is the growing number of people visiting a small town of 16,000.

The creator of the event, who posted under the pseudonym “Ente EBR,” has not been identified. On the page, the individual posted the statement: “The world will end on 21/12. What will you do?”

The ancient Maya invented the Long Count, a calendar that displays time running out on the 21st. However, the Mayans may have interpreted this as one cycle of life ending to launch the beginning of a new one.