My very first article at Mexico News Daily was about then-President López Obrador’s request that Spain officially apologize for the conquest. My thesis was, basically, why not apologize?
The powers that be in Spain scoffed, saying that historical events shouldn’t be judged through a modern lens. A few op-ed pieces were written about it in the Mexican papers, and people fought about it on Facebook for a bit. Upper-class Mexicans especially rolled their eyes.
“The Spaniards of today are not the same people, and neither are we, duh.“
The idea seemed to die down as more pressing matters inevitably took its place. But it apparently had not been put to bed once and for all. With the inauguration of President Claudia Sheinbaum, and later in a morning press conference, it was revived.
First, there was her inauguration. The same king of Spain who rejected an apology the first time around, King Felipe VI, was not invited. As a result, Spain sent no guests at all. Yikes!
I know it’s diplomacy, and maybe it’s because I’m currently binge-watching “Downton Abbey,” but these kinds of tiffs strike me as kind of adorable. Royalty: they’re just like us! Not invited to the big party? Everyone’s going to hear about it, now!
One of the reasons given by Sheinbaum for not extending the invitation was that King Felipe had not responded to López Obrador’s letter requesting the apology. Spain’s Prime Minister, though, was not convinced. He called it “unacceptable and inexplicable, given the level of relations between Spain and Mexico, two ‘brother’ countries.” Spain did not send a delegation to the inauguration.
“Brothers,” hmm. Well, Mexico and Spain have always had a rather tough relationship. Is it any wonder they’d occasionally participate in a tit-for-tat?
I’m sorry is all that you can’t say…
Perhaps they’ll take a page from Tracy Chapman’s “Baby Can I Hold You” and love each other despite the lack of apology? Or cooperate, at least, which is what they seem to be doing. So what about the apology?
I don’t know a whole lot about diplomatic relations, but I do know about pride and stubbornness. And one thing I know for sure is that apologizing can be hard, especially if you don’t think you should have to.
I also know that culturally, saying “I was wrong, I’m sorry,” is not easy, especially here. I can’t count how many people I know whose only version of the phrase is, “I’m sorry, but…” They then launch into all the reasons that they are right, and so of course don’t need to apologize. There are even some people who I’ve never heard apologize a single time. Say why they shouldn’t, sure, but accept responsibility?
So I’m not saying that Spain should apologize because it’s currently responsible for the atrocities committed during the Conquest. I’m saying Spain should apologize because it would be symbolically important to a lot of people.
Because while the number isn’t quite as high, in addition to the “I’m sorry, but…” people, I know quite a lot who simply hate Spain and Spaniards. Why? “Because of what they did to us.” Sigh.
To me, this has typically been just virtue-signaling. I don’t see anyone, for example, refusing to speak their language or worship their gods. “I’m discerning and angry because I have a sense of history.” Cool, cool. Is there anything you’re doing to help indigenous people today, then?
In the case of Morena, the answer is actually “kind of,” which is more than past administrations can say. Not only have they been included symbolically in high-level government ceremonies. Many of the current government programs aimed at helping those in poverty go to them, and justice plans for Indigenous people are being created and carried out under Morena’s government.
So come on, Your Majesty. Surely an important symbolic leader could give an important symbolic apology, right? It’s certainly not unprecedented, and it would make some people very happy. Can we not just do something to make some people happy?
According to the current and former presidents, the purpose of the apology is to simply acknowledge what happened, and to put it behind us. No one is asking Spain for reparations, though I wonder if they’re afraid of such requests to follow if they give an admission of guilt.
Perhaps that’s some of their reluctance. Because what is an apology without an offer to make amends?
Empty.
It could be that they don’t want to put themselves into a situation of being pressured to pay for it somehow. It could also be — this is a big maybe — that they don’t want to sound like hypocrites for offering an apology without suggestions for making it right.
Perhaps to them, it’s akin to the land acknowledgements found of late in the United States and Canada. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re essentially statements by the descendants of colonizers saying, “We recognize and honor you.”
I’m a card-carrying liberal, but this seems both silly and insulting to me. “We want to show we’re good people by saying we see you, but please, oh God, please do not suggest actual reparations.”
In the end, we’ll just have to see what happens. Mexico may never get its apology, or it may get it tomorrow. When a reporter pointed out former President Calderón having criticized the insistence on an apology, she quipped back. “Do you think that Calderón will someday apologize for the war on drugs?”
I’m not holding my breath for either apology.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
Lol…😂 Your last sentence was going to be my comment….
SORRY. SPAIN is NOT responsible for what happened 500 years++ ago. Wake up. If there is blame Mexico…look in a mirror.
Exactly Bill Dean. In the words of Shaquille Oneal, after visiting his “homeland” in Africa, leaned over to one of his entourage and said I’m sure glad great great grandad caught that boat ride.
What is the appropriate term for the tons of Mexican gold, silver, … genocidally excavated, processed by indigenous slave labor for the Spanish monarch’s treasury?
Yes! Not only Spain it the Pope should also. It was a collaboration of evil.
Yes! Not only Spain but the Pope should also. It was a collaboration of evil.
The problem with apologies is that once you get one, you start expecting more. 1st Spain, now the Pope/Catholic Church… I agree with Sarah. I won’t be holding my breath. The Church has modern atrocities they won’t admit to, let alone apologize for. I place apologies to the living victims of child molestation above those of people who died centuries ago. It seems that everyone is quick to apologize today. Most are “symbolic” or PR stunts and don’t mean anything anymore. They’re just words. So what’s the point?
On this new year’s eve, with so many modern problems facing Mexico today, perhaps we can just accept that subconsciously, we apologize for the mistakes of the past, by no longer doing the things we did 500+ year’s ago.
Los conquistadors term that is commonly used by all the media and text books, to describe the invasion of America by Spanish, should be replaced for los invasores or los lardons.
A formal apology for the atrocities committed during the Spanish Conquest is not out of the ordinary, and goes a long way in the arena of diplomacy.
When Cortez arrived with his 400 men, the entire world used conquest. If you had what I want, I take it. His incredible and most improbable result was remarkable for several things: Whenever he faced a new people he told them he came as a ‘brother’ who wanted to introduce them to his King and to his God. After the inevitable battle, against odds like 30,000 to 400, and even after some of his men were killed, he didn’t seek retribution, he sought reconciliation, reminding them he had warned them that their defeated and dead would be their own fault and the he reminded them he was still there as a ‘brother’ to introduce them to his King and his God. And he would always release their prisoners designated for sacrifice because he would not abide human sacrifice. And he listened to his religious leaders and never forced conversion on anyone. That his actions do not fully comport with modern values is obvious but is an apology necessary? Probably not given the state of the humanity at the time. What came next, the corporate nature of the Spanish to organize and extract as much money and goods from the Nuevo Hispania as they could through slavery and everything else, yes this deserves an apology and some reparations based on how much gold, silver, and money the Spanish were able to receive. How much of the colonial civilization in Spain and Europe today was paid for by Mexicans? It can be estimated and at some level over the next several hundred years, Europe and Spain could agree to return some of what they took, beginning with the antiquities they still have in their museums, to recognize all of this as Mexico’s property and negotiate how and where to display it best, acknowledging it is up to Mexico would be a very good beginning so that what happened then and the positive outcome for Mexico at this time could be discussed in historical not hysterical context
Bravo!