Spain Issues Surprising Regret Over Treatment of Mexico's Indigenous People During Conquest
In a surprising shift, Spain has expressed regret over the "pain and injustice" suffered by Mexico's Indigenous people during its conquest of the Americas. The Spanish government had previously defended its colonial actions, saying they couldn't be judged using modern standards.
However, on Friday, José Manuel Albares, Spain's foreign minister, acknowledged that there was indeed pain and injustice inflicted upon the Indigenous population. "It's a very human history, with both light and darkness," he said at an exhibition in Madrid dedicated to the lives of Mexico's Indigenous women. "We must recognise the pain and be sorry for it."
This statement comes four days after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum renewed calls for an apology from Spain over its treatment of Indigenous people during colonization. While a formal apology has yet to come, Albares' words were welcomed by Sheinbaum as a step in the right direction.
The conquest of Mexico began in 1519 and lasted until 1521, when Hernán Cortés led hundreds of soldiers into the city of Tenochtitlán. The Spanish then sacking of the city led to years of subjugation and forced conversion to Catholicism for the Indigenous populations.
Albares' comment marked a significant shift in tone after six years of diplomatic disputes between Spain and Mexico over the abuses of the colonial period. While there is still no apology, it appears that Spain may be ready to acknowledge its past wrongdoings.
"We agreed with the letter sent by President López Obrador and are waiting for a response," said Sheinbaum. "This is a first step in recognizing the harm caused by our past actions."
She added that apologies do not have to be humiliating, but rather an opportunity to grow and learn from history. The recognition of past injustices can indeed ennoble governments and peoples.
As the world marks the International Year of Indigenous Women, Spain's surprising statement has been met with cautious optimism by Mexico and its people.
In a surprising shift, Spain has expressed regret over the "pain and injustice" suffered by Mexico's Indigenous people during its conquest of the Americas. The Spanish government had previously defended its colonial actions, saying they couldn't be judged using modern standards.
However, on Friday, José Manuel Albares, Spain's foreign minister, acknowledged that there was indeed pain and injustice inflicted upon the Indigenous population. "It's a very human history, with both light and darkness," he said at an exhibition in Madrid dedicated to the lives of Mexico's Indigenous women. "We must recognise the pain and be sorry for it."
This statement comes four days after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum renewed calls for an apology from Spain over its treatment of Indigenous people during colonization. While a formal apology has yet to come, Albares' words were welcomed by Sheinbaum as a step in the right direction.
The conquest of Mexico began in 1519 and lasted until 1521, when Hernán Cortés led hundreds of soldiers into the city of Tenochtitlán. The Spanish then sacking of the city led to years of subjugation and forced conversion to Catholicism for the Indigenous populations.
Albares' comment marked a significant shift in tone after six years of diplomatic disputes between Spain and Mexico over the abuses of the colonial period. While there is still no apology, it appears that Spain may be ready to acknowledge its past wrongdoings.
"We agreed with the letter sent by President López Obrador and are waiting for a response," said Sheinbaum. "This is a first step in recognizing the harm caused by our past actions."
She added that apologies do not have to be humiliating, but rather an opportunity to grow and learn from history. The recognition of past injustices can indeed ennoble governments and peoples.
As the world marks the International Year of Indigenous Women, Spain's surprising statement has been met with cautious optimism by Mexico and its people.
. It's about time they acknowledged the pain and injustice inflicted on Mexico's Indigenous people during colonization. I mean, can you imagine how hurtful it must be to think that your ancestors were subjugated, forced to convert to a different faith, and treated like second-class citizens? It's crazy to think that this was all justified by the Spanish government back then 
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? Either way, it's a step in the right direction, and I'm glad we can finally have some real conversations about these historical injustices.
u should be proud of spain for finally owning up to their dark history 
now we gotta see some real action not just empty words 
herman cortés was a sick dude btw 
it's about time! 80% of mexico's population was killed or displaced, that's like a whole generation erased 
and the spanish brought like 40,000+ people to mexico during conquest, meanwhile there were over 25 million indigenous ppl 
. It's about time they acknowledge the pain and injustice inflicted on Mexico's Indigenous people during colonization 
. I mean, can you imagine what kind of legacy we want to leave for future generations? 
. Apologies don't have to be about being humble or acknowledging our own guilt, it's about recognizing the harm caused by our past actions and using them as an opportunity to make amends 
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. But hey, a step in the right direction is always better than nothing 
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like what!!! finally! 
it's about time they showed some regret over all that pain & injustice done to the indigenous ppl 
albares' statement was a major step forward 
and i'm loving how sheinbaum is welcoming it as a good start 
can't wait for a formal apology now 
and that's a major step towards healing & growth 
? i dont think so... and yeah maybe apologies can be good 4 growth & learnin from history, but u cant just erase the past and expect ppl 2 forget whats happened 
. im glad mexico's standin strong and calling out for accountability 
. It's not just about giving a token apology, it's about understanding the impact of your actions and taking responsibility for them. And I love how President Sheinbaum is framing it as an opportunity to grow and learn from history - that's some real maturity right there 
. It's all about progress, people!