Mexico’s President is Asking for an Apology from King Felipe VI and the Pope 500 Years After Historical Conquest

5. It May Be a Merely Symbolic Gesture

After all, the Spanish conquest happened 500 years ago, and its empire fell nearly 300 years ago. Politically, the memory of the Spanish conquest does not hamper relations between Mexico and Spain. However, it may not be coincidental that 2019 marks exactly 500 years since Hernan Cortes arrived in 1519.