My journey to Yucatán in 2015: The Origin of Tears of Quetzalcóatl
In 2015, I embarked on a journey that would mark not only my life but also the soul of my writing. Yucatán, with its mysticism, history, and lush landscapes, became the epicenter of an investigation that led me to understand the epic adventure of Hernán Cortés and the true meaning of Hispanidad. It was there that the first lines of Tears of Quetzalcóatl began to take root, one of my most ambitious novels, aiming to resurrect the spirit of a time when love, sacrifice, and human effort intertwined to shape a new world.
Traveling through Yucatán is like walking through an open book, whose pages are the jungles, the Mayan ruins, and the cenotes filled with a silence that invites reflection. From the streets of Mérida to the grandeur of Chichén Itzá, every corner seemed to whisper stories to me. There, I not only felt the presence of those days of glory and tragedy but also wove together the echoes of Mesoamerican civilizations with the titanic effort of the Spanish conquerors—imperfect men but immortalized by their audacity and resilience.
More than eight thousand kilometers of adventure, crossing dense jungles and enduring scorching temperatures, the European conquerors advanced clad in heavy armor, defying an unforgiving climate and a wild, unexplored nature. Each step was a battle against the unknown, and before them stood an imposing empire that ruled with an iron fist, subjugating neighboring peoples with chilling cruelty.
Amid this epic saga, in a sixteenth century marked by hardship and blood, something more than war and ambition was revealed. Despite the atrocities and the struggle for power, an encounter of souls and cultures emerged. Where the Spaniard saw the indigenous person as an equal once converted, improbable alliances were woven, and a unique connection was born, beyond the ferocity of time. Between gunpowder and obsidian, between the clash of two worlds, a love as scorching as the fire of the jungle arose—a genesis that gave birth to a new race and the embryo of a nation that would shape history.
It is a story of resilience, passion, and transformation that defines the soul of the Americas, where even in the darkest times, love and hope proved to be the most powerful forces of all.
Hispanidad: Beyond the Black Legend
One of the goals I set when writing this novel was to unravel the myths and political manipulations that have clouded the understanding of the Conquest. The Black Legend, with its partial and biased narrative, has left us with a limited view of a process that, although violent and painful, was also the seed of a unique mestizo civilization in the world.
Hispanidad was not, as some claim, a mere imposition; it was a complex amalgamation of cultures, languages, and religions, where resistance and adaptation gave birth to new identities. Mexico, that nation with an indomitable spirit, cannot be understood without recognizing the fusion of its indigenous roots and its Spanish heritage.
In Tears of Quetzalcóatl, I sought to portray Cortés not only as an ambitious man but also as a visionary who navigated between epic and tragedy. His relationship with Malintzin, the indigenous princess who changed the course of history, is the heart of my novel and a metaphor for the cultural and human mestizaje that defines Mexico and much of Latin America.
In Yucatán, while walking the paths where the Maya left their indelible marks, I faced an undeniable truth: this land has witnessed the greatest sacrifices but also the deepest victories of love and humanity.
It is easy to judge the events of the Conquest from the present, but behind every battle, every decision, were men and women facing their time with the only things they had—their faith, their will, and their humanity. This was the tremendous effort of those who shaped the world we know today. Through my journey, I discovered that beyond gold and glory, the Conquest was, at its core, a struggle for love. Love for survival, love for transcendence, and love for the other, even when that love was wrapped in contradictions and conflicts.
Ultimately, Tears of Quetzalcóatl is an ode to love in its many forms: the passionate love between Cortés and Malintzin, the filial love that unites generations, and the love for humanity that endures even in the darkest circumstances. In writing this novel, I sought to pay tribute to the universal and humanist Christian spirit that has defined our history, reminding us that although we were born in conflict, we were also born in hope.
Today, looking back at my journey in 2015, I cannot help but thank Yucatán for giving me not only inspiration but also a deeper vision of what it means to be part of this incredible and eternal adventure called Hispanidad.
