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Spain’s king acknowledges ‘much abuse’ in the conquest of the Americas
King Felipe VI recognized abuses and ethical controversies during Spain’s colonial conquest while visiting a Madrid museum, marking a rare admission amid ongoing diplomatic tensions with Mexico.
- On March 16, King Felipe VI acknowledged the Spanish conquest included 'much abuse' and 'ethical controversies' while visiting a Madrid museum exhibition on pre‑Columbian Mexico with Quirino Ordaz.
- Historic calls for apology prompted Mexico's 2019 demand letter to the Spanish king and Pope Francis, fueling a diplomatic spat that escalated after President Claudia Sheinbaum snubbed the 2024 inauguration and Spain refused to send a representative.
- Using precise language, King Felipe VI acknowledged that the conquest involved 'much abuse' and stressed the importance of objective analysis, during a Madrid museum visit.
- Officials noted that the king's comments do not amount to a formal apology from Spain's royal palace, while Sheinbaum said she would look into his remarks.
- Historically, Spain's empire at its height spanned five continents and practised forced labour, land expropriation and violence against Indigenous peoples of the Americas; tensions eased last fall when José Manuel Albares, Spain's Foreign Minister, acknowledged the 'pain and injustice' they suffered.
109 Articles
109 Articles
“Much Abuse”: Spain’s King Offers Rare Concession on the Conquest of the Americas
Spain’s King Felipe VI acknowledged that “much abuse” occurred during the Spanish conquest of the Americas, a rare public admission amid ongoing tensions with Mexico over demands that Spain formally recognize and apologize for colonial-era violence against Indigenous peoples.
King Felipe VI of Spain acknowledges 'abuses' and 'moral controversies' of Conquest
King Felipe VI of Spain acknowledged on Monday that during the Spanish conquest and colonization of America, “there were significant abuses” and “moral and ethical controversies,” marking an unprecedented statement on the matter for a king of Spain. The statement came during the king’s visit to the exposition “Half the world. The women of Indigenous Mexico” at the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) in Madrid, Spain. Recorrido del Rey por …
The Spanish government subscribes to "100%" the words of King Philip VI with which it recognized that there was "a lot of abuse" during the conquest of America.
For the first time, a Spanish king is timidly apologizing to Mexico. From today's point of view, one is not proud of the behaviour of that time, says Felipe VI.
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