In a strong assertion at Foro La Región in Spain, Alfonso Borrego —a direct descendant of the legendary Apache chief Geronimo— sparked worldwide debate by declaring that “Spain should not apologize for conquering America, but for leaving it.”
Borrego’s feedback purpose to dismantle the long-standing Black Legend, a historic narrative that unfairly portrays Spain’s position within the Americas as purely oppressive and violent.
Throughout his presentation, Borrego emphasised that the Spanish conquest was not an act of barbarism however a posh cultural course of that introduced with it schooling, faith, structure, and a shared language that also unites the Hispanic world in the present day.
He argued that the Black Legend—a time period coined to explain anti-Spanish propaganda spread mainly by English and Dutch rivals—has distorted centuries of history to favor Anglo-American dominance.
Borrego additionally highlighted that many Indigenous nations collaborated with Spain throughout the conquest, and that the true tragedy got here not from the arrival of the Spaniards, however from their eventual withdrawal.
According to him, Spain’s exit left much of Latin America vulnerable to foreign exploitation and ideological manipulation, erasing centuries of shared cultural development.
His remarks come amid a growing global movement to reassess Spain’s colonial legacy, with scholars and historians urging a more balanced understanding of the era.
Rather than being defined by conquest alone, Borrego said, the Hispanic legacy must be seen as a civilizational bridge that linked Europe and the Americas in religion, language, and tradition.
Alfonso Borrego’s phrases echo deeply in in the present day’s polarized debates over historical past, id, and colonialism. His message goes past politics—it’s a name to reclaim the reality concerning the Hispanic world’s shared roots.
Spain mustn’t apologize for bringing civilization, schooling, and tradition to the Americas. It ought to, nevertheless, replicate on why it allowed its legacy to get replaced by historic distortion and cultural amnesia.
Recognizing the reality concerning the Hispanic previous just isn’t about satisfaction or guilt—it’s about understanding who we’re and defending the legacy that unites thousands and thousands throughout each side of the Atlantic.
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