Various historians They have described as “delirium” and “absurd” that Spain has to ask for forgiveness to Mexico for the Conquest of America, something that the former president of the country, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, requested by letter in March 2019 to the King Felipe VI.
As the monarch did not respond to the letter from the former president, the new president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has excluded Felipe VI from his inaugurationThis has led to a new disagreement between the two countries.
In the face of the controversy generated, the professor and member of the Royal Academy of History Enrique Moradiellos explains to Europa Press that “States have relations as States and not as people, neither individuals, nor private individuals.” “Insulting or denigrating or belittling the head of state of a country It is a truly unprecedented and surprising event”he emphasizes.
Professor Moradiellos points out that this has happened before in history.Hitler He insulted thousands of people and thousands of States and thousands of races and thousands of groups, but normally in international relations, after the traumatic experience of the two world wars, States respect each other and Heads of state are the embodiment and personification of that state.“, he emphasizes.
In his opinion, not inviting a head of state to the inauguration of another “indicates an act of hostility and resentment which says more about the person who causes it and does it, than about the person who receives it.”
Regarding the request for forgiveness, Professor Enrique Moradiellos points out that “To consider 500 years later that that process is still alive as a cause of grievance is historical nonsense. and political”. “Those 200,000 Spaniards who, over the course of a century, were able to reach America and they spread, conquered, colonized, acculturated, established themselves, became so Creole and so American that whoever asks for forgiveness is the son of one of them, not of those who stayed on the Peninsula,” he argues.
For the professor, it is a “real nonsense” because it would be as if the Spanish were demanding an apology from the French for the invasion of 1808-1814 200 years ago. “To ask for such a thing “This would lead to a recurring system of requests for forgiveness for wrongs committed.”he says.
Professor Moradiellos criticizes Mexico for not “remembering” USA nor “blame” him for the “amputation” in the 19th century of Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, California, Utah, New Mexico.
“Sometimes these operations cover up the inability to establish order and someone else is blamed, and if possible, someone known and distant. They are not going to blame what happened in Mexico on a very problematic northern neighbor.“, says the teacher.
Reminiscence of the black legend
For his part, Professor Fernando del Rey, winner of the 2020 National History Prize, considers that “this is absurd” and believes that “it is reminiscent of the black legend that could be applied to any empire and that could be applied to the history of Spain itself.” Mexico“. “Should politicians ask for forgiveness for the aberrant crimes of the Aztecs? with other ethnic minorities?” he asked.
In your opinion, “It is a populist gesture to attract votes and it is absurd” “That between two sister countries the political class is proposing this division.” “Among other things, if we speak in ethnic terms, the rulers do not seem to be descendants of the indigenous people. They seem more like descendants of the Creole elites, who were the ones who led the independence process,” he says.
The National Award of History He also points out that “sometimes it is forgotten that in many of these processes the indigenous population, precisely, is the one that remained most loyal to the Spanish Crown because “They found protection from the local Creole elites”.
Similarly, historian and literary critic José Carlos Mainer sees it as “a bit silly” to discuss the matter “at this point.” “It is evident that Spain conquered America under conditions that were those of the time, but it is also true that Fraternity with Mexico has been repeatedly expressed of a very different nature,” he says.
Thus, José Carlos Mainer argues that all this is due to “the confrontation of the most radical groups in Mexico, who have used the problem of the monarchy in this sense, as if there were no more monarchies in the world.” On the other hand, “a extension of that discontent that seems to accompany life and Mexican politics.”
An “anti-diplomatic disaster”
José Luis Corral, also a historian, university professor and Spanish writer, believes that “It is an undiplomatic disaster and makes no sense”. “Neither what the Mexican government has done, nor what the government from Spain, a little more, but not much,” he clarifies.
Regarding the claim of the Mexican leaders, Corral argues that “Asking for forgiveness in historical time is absurd”“I don’t have to apologize for what a Spaniard from my city did,” he says. He adds that “none of the current Spaniards were involved in the conquest of America 500 years ago, so they are not responsible for what happened.”
“In any case, who do we have to apologize to? To those indigenous people who were conquered? To their descendants? Or to the lord Workshop “Has the president-elect already been elected? This is a joke,” he explains.
Finally, the historian points out that “today’s Spain does not have to ask for forgiveness from anyone.” “Asking for forgiveness 500 years later It is absurd, because otherwise the Romans would have to ask for forgiveness. for invading the Celtiberians and for having destroyed Numancia“, ditch.
