Spanish king acknowledges ‘much abuse’ during Americas conquest

A rare admission by the Spanish crown comes amid years of tension with Mexico, but no formal apology was offered

Spain’s King Felipe VI has acknowledged that the Spanish conquest of the Americas involved “much abuse” and “ethical controversies,” a rare admission by the Spanish crown, which has never issued a formal apology to its former colonies.  

Spain’s conquest of Mexico began in 1519, when Hernan Cortes led an expedition that ultimately overthrew the Aztec Empire. Armed with superior weapons and aided by disease, the conquistadors decimated Indigenous populations while seizing land and resources. They sought gold and power in the New World, repressing pre-Columbian cultures and replacing temples with churches. At its height between the 16th and 18th centuries, Spain’s empire spanned five continents, including much of Central and South America.  

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The king made the remarks on Monday while meeting Mexico’s ambassador to Spain, Quirino Ordaz, during a visit to an exhibition in Madrid about the role of women in pre-Columbian Mexico.

“There are things that, when we study them, we come to know them, and well, with our current values, they obviously cannot make us feel proud,” Felipe said, referring to the centuries-old Spanish conquest.  

Laws imposed by the Spanish crown in the 16th century to govern its colonies had “an aim to provide protection” for Indigenous peoples “but in reality it was often not fulfilled, leading to much, much abuse,” he said.  

The Bourbon king’s remarks come after years of tension between Spain and Mexico over the latter’s demands that Spain apologize for its 1519-1521 conquest, which led to the deaths of much of the pre-Hispanic population. His comments, however, do not amount to a formal apology from Spain’s royal palace.  

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Relations between the two countries have been strained since 2019, when then-Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called on the Spanish monarchy to acknowledge abuses during the conquest and subsequent three centuries of colonial rule.  

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Obrador’s successor and political ally, revived the call for an apology and excluded King Felipe from her October 2024 inauguration, citing Spain’s lack of response.

Last year, Spain’s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, acknowledged the “pain and injustice” inflicted on indigenous peoples during the conquest as he opened the same exhibition visited by the king.  

Sheinbaum welcomed the remarks, calling them a “first step” by the Spanish government in recognizing the abuses.