Elvis Never Was in Acapulco

Elvis Never Was in Acapulco (Fauna Libros, 2024) is a photobook (1,000 copies each in English and Spanish) resulting from four years of development and supported by a grant from EFIARTES, a Mexican fiscal incentive coordinated by the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. This grant, administered by the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature, supports visual arts production and literary publication.

The book employs a docufictional approach to explore themes of Mexican national identity, focusing on its complex relationship with the United States. It critically examines a fabricated, racist quote falsely attributed to Elvis Presley that shaped generational perceptions and contributed to Mexico's cultural dynamics with its northern neighbor. Through a playful yet incisive lens, the project engages with broader issues of post-truth narratives.
This book explores the fictitious presence of Elvis Presley in Acapulco, documenting what might have been while simultaneously narrating the true lie leading to Elvis’ ban from Mexico. A ban that among other things complicated the filming of Elvis’ “Fun in Acapulco”.

The story stems from an article written by gossip columnist Federico de León in 1957. De León wrote that “[Presley] said he was not interested in going to Mexico because he thought it was a country with poor taste, adding that he would, in fact, rather kiss three black women than a single Mexican.” Decades later, it came to light that these false quotes by Presley were the work of Ernesto Peralta Uruchurtu, the mayor of Mexico City. Uruchurtu had sent a blank check to Presley’s offices, in early 1957 to secure the King’s appearance at a quinceañera party for the daughter of a media mogul. The check was returned, but the magnate had already publicly announced that Presley would make his appearance at the party. The story was then planted in a national newspaper to justify Elvis’ absence and vindicate Uruchurtu.

Elvis Never Was in Acapulco is a photoessay accompanied by text about a truth built on multiple fictions exploring the nuanced complexities of power, culture, racism, corruption, and beauty.

These incidents were documented by Parménides García Saldaña in his short story collection El rey criollo and in the Eric Zolov book Elvis Refried: The Rise of the Mexican Counterculture.