King Felipe of Spain Opens Dialogue on Colonial Abuses in Mexico

Wed Mar 18 2026 03:00:43 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a significant gesture, King Felipe VI acknowledges the abuses during Spain’s conquest of Mexico, reigniting discussions on historical accountability between the nations.

King Felipe of Spain's recent remarks acknowledging the abuses endured by indigenous peoples during the conquest have sparked a renewed debate on colonial history. His comments were welcomed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum while drawing mixed responses across the political spectrum in Spain, highlighting the ongoing dialogue about reconciliation and historical examination.

King Felipe of Spain appears to have helped thaw frosty relations with Mexico by acknowledging abuses carried out by his country during its conquest.

But in doing so he has reopened a fierce debate over the colonisation of the New World.

The arrival of Spaniards in America from the late 15th Century spread Christianity and the Spanish language across the continent, while also causing the death of many thousands of indigenous people through military action and disease.

During a visit to an exhibition dedicated to indigenous women in Mexico at Madrid's National Archaeological Museum, King Felipe expressed that there had been a lot of abuse during the conquest of the territory that would become Mexico.

There are things that, when we study them, with our present-day criteria, our values, obviously cannot make us feel proud, he added on Monday.

The king made his observations in the presence of the Mexican ambassador to Spain, Quirino Ordaz.

President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico has welcomed the comments as a major step forward on an issue that has caused diplomatic friction between the two countries in recent years. One could say that it is not everything we would have wanted but it is a gesture of reconciliation by the king in terms of what we were talking about: an acknowledgement of excesses, exterminations that happened during the Spaniards' arrival, she said.

The year 2021 marked the 500th anniversary of the fall of Tenochtitlán, the site of modern-day Mexico City and the capital of the Aztec empire, at the hands of Hernán Cortés and his small army.

King Felipe's words represent the first time a Spanish monarch has publicly acknowledged colonial abuses, and they were included in a video posted on social media by the Royal Household.

While King's acknowledgment has been praised by some, it has also faced criticism. The conservative People's Party leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo cautioned against re-evaluating historical events through a modern lens, stating their pride in Spain's legacy in the New World.

Elma Saiz, a minister in the Socialist-led Spanish government, supported the king’s remarks, while the far-right Vox party labeled the conquest as the greatest work of evangelisation and civilisation in universal history. This mixed response highlights ongoing tensions and the complexity of Spain's colonial legacy.