A Turning Point in Strained Bilateral Relations After Six Years
The Spanish government has acknowledged that indigenous peoples suffered "pain and injustice" during its conquest of the Americas 500 years ago and has expressed regret to the Mexican government.
According to The Guardian on November 1 (local time), Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares delivered an apology to Mexico’s indigenous peoples during the opening speech of an event held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, on October 31.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of an exhibition focused on indigenous Mexican women, he stated, "The shared history of our two countries-Spain and Mexico-contains both light and shadow, and there was pain and injustice for the indigenous peoples." He went on to say, "It is right to acknowledge and regret this today, because it is also part of our shared history, and we cannot deny or forget it."
Mexico Demanded Apology from Spanish King in 2019
Mexico views Minister Albares’s remarks as a first step toward an apology. In March 2019, then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico sent letters to King Felipe VI of Spain and then-Pope Francis, demanding apologies for massacres and oppression during the period of colonial rule and conquest. At that time, the Spanish government refused to apologize, stating, "Events from 500 years ago cannot be judged by modern standards," and insisted that the two countries should view their shared history without anger and from a common perspective.
In September 2024, the issue of colonial history resurfaced when newly elected Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum decided not to invite the Spanish King to her inauguration. In response, the Spanish government stated, "The two countries are brother nations," and expressed that "such exclusion is unacceptable."
This latest statement of regret came just four days after President Sheinbaum reiterated her call for an apology from Spain regarding historical issues. She said, "We share the same view as former President Lopez Obrador, who sent a letter six and a half years ago," adding, "We are still waiting for a reply from Spain."
President Sheinbaum welcomed Minister Albares’s remarks as a step toward acknowledging past wrongs. She said, "An apology ennobles both the government and the people; it is not a humiliation. Quite the opposite. Especially in this year dedicated to indigenous women, I extend my congratulations to the Spanish Foreign Minister."
In 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes led hundreds of cavalrymen to invade Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. As a result, the Aztec Empire collapsed two years later, and Spain established the colony of Nueva Espana (New Spain) in its place.
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