Spanish Influence On Latin America

Latin America is a vibrant land of many cultures all having a shared history of Spanish and Portuguese influence that created what we have today. In the modern era most of Latin America speaks Spanish, English, and Portuguese however, that wasn’t always the case as the indigenous people of the Americas had over 100 different languages. These different languages made it quite difficult for the Spanish during their exploration and colonization of the new world. Many early interactions between the Spanish and the Natives ended in exploitation of the Natives, or as in most cases, unnecessary violence and bloodshed. The language barrier was the largest issue in the communication between the Natives and the Spanish. Such problems in communication
When Hernán Cortéz followed the Yucatan coastline in 1518, he eventually landed in San Juan de Ulúa. Upon landing at San Juan Cortez met with Montezuma’s emissaries. After their initial meeting they returned to Montezuma and conveyed Cortez's wish to have an audience with the emperor. The communication between Montezuma and Cortéz eventually led to Cortéz entering Tenochtitlan and overthrowing the Aztec empire from the inside. Cortéz would not be the first nor the last Spaniard to use linguistics to his advantage in the exploitation of the Native Americans. During the first landing of Pánfilo de Narváez, the expedition encountered their first group of Natives in what today is thought to be Tampa bay. It was there they discovered the bodies of Castilian merchants, which were wrapped with hides out of respect however, the Fray, Juan Suarez believed it to be devil worship and had the Spanish burned the bodies not understanding the Natives intentions. As the expedition moved forward, they encountered a second group of Natives which Cabeza de Vaca recalls Narváez going out to them and, “after having spoken to them by means of signs, they gestured to us in such a way that we had to turn on them.” The lack of communication was used advantageously by the Spanish, which allowed them to make any situation they did not understand
As their reputation among the Natives began to spread throughout the land, they began to see themselves as healers with God given powers. Through their exploration of the land as healers, they “walked through so many Indian communities and heard so many different languages that their memories failed to recall them all.” The amount of local languages and the fact that the castaways spoke a completely alien language, furthered the idea that the castaways were divine healers sent from the heavens. The high regard that the Natives held the castaways in as healers was used by them to further their exploration of the land, with no worry of aggression against them.
When Cabeza de Vaca, Dorantes, Castillo, and Estebanico heard word of more Europeans farther south along the pacific coast, which began the end of their journey. After he met with the Spanish, Cabeza de Vaca used his knowledge of the Natives and his influence with officials, to speak on behalf of the Natives and propose that the Spanish work with them and not enslave them. Unintentionally the Natives used Cabeza de Vaca as an advantage to stop the unnecessary enslavement of their