The Mysteries of Latin America With Andrew Colón

Before Bad Bunny: The Night Puerto Rico Said "No Más" at Lares

Many people saw and felt the amount of Boricua Pride among Puerto Ricans and latinos during Bad Bunny's Halftime show at the Super Bowl. That pride is over 150 years in the making.... In 1868, Puerto Rico declared independence from Spain. By the next day, it was over. But what happened in a small mountain town called Lares did something far more lasting than establish a short-lived republic. It permanently changed how Puerto Ricans understood who they were. This episode tells the full story of El Grito de Lares, the uprising that marked the birth of modern Puerto Rican identity, decades before the United States arrived in 1898. We explore the pressure cooker that led to rebellion, including colonial rule, censorship, forced labor systems, and the tightening grip of a declining Spanish empire. We follow the revolution from planning to collapse, from exile to insurrection, and from secrecy to open defiance. At the center of the story are the people who made Lares possible: * Ramón Emeterio Betances, the physician, abolitionist, and revolutionary forced into exile who organized the movement across the Caribbean * Segundo Ruiz Belvis, whose sudden death abroad changed the course of the rebellion * Manuel Rojas, who led the uprising on the ground * Mariana Bracetti, who created the flag of Lares and helped give visual form to a nation that didn’t yet exist We walk through the night of September 23, 1868, when hundreds of men and women marched into Lares, declared a republic, raised a flag on the church altar, and proclaimed that Puerto Rico was more than a colony. Militarily, the uprising failed in less than a day. Historically, it succeeded forever. Because after Lares, Puerto Ricans were no longer just Spanish subjects. They were something else. Something distinct. This episode examines why a revolution that lasted only hours still shapes debates about identity, nationalism, and self-determination more than 150 years later. Why this story matters El Grito de Lares is not just a historical event. It is the emotional and symbolic starting point of Puerto Rican nationalism. Every conversation about statehood, independence, or political status traces its roots back to that night in the mountains. This is the story of how identity is born, even when power is lost. About the show The Mysteries of Latin America explores the myths, legends, history, and forgotten stories of the Americas, so those of us with roots in the region can know our own stories, and those who don’t can finally understand them.

Surprise Discovery of a Sealed Zapotec Tomb in Oaxaca-Here's What's Inside

A sealed Zapotec tomb dating back more than 1,400 years was recently discovered in Oaxaca, Mexico, and what archaeologists found inside was almost unheard of. In this episode, we explore Tumba 10 de Huitzo, a burial site that remained undisturbed for over a millennium. Murals still line the walls. Names are carved into stone slabs. Human remains were found exactly where they were placed. We examine what these details reveal about Zapotec beliefs surrounding death, identity, and power, and why this discovery has been described by Mexican cultural authorities as one of the most significant archaeological finds of the past ten years. This episode also places the tomb within the broader history of Zapotec civilization, highlighting its role as one of the foundational cultures of Mesoamerica.

Aztec Origins: Could Aztlán Be in the Four Corners of the US Southwest?

Where did the Aztecs really come from? In Mexica tradition, Aztlán is remembered as a sacred homeland somewhere to the north — a place left behind before the journey south that eventually led to Tenochtitlan. For years, listeners have asked whether that remembered “north” could point to the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. In this episode, we take that question seriously. Instead of arguing for a single location, we examine the evidence itself — archaeology, oral history, art, language, and timelines — and see how well the Four Corners holds up when placed side by side with what the Mexica actually remembered. We explore: * Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Aztec Ruins — and what their architecture really tells us * Why “Aztec Ruins” isn’t Aztec at all, and how the name misleads people * What Pueblo oral histories say about movement, place, and continuity * Why language points north — but not to a specific site * And why timing matters more than most people realize This episode doesn’t try to prove a theory. It asks a better question: Does the Four Corners match the kind of place Aztlán was remembered to be? This is Part of the Searching for Aztlán series. Listen carefully — and decide for yourself. ✅ SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW FOR MORE 🎥 Subscribe for new episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mmWrV59t4X7wJClrm58kA [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mmWrV59t4X7wJClrm58kA] 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andycolonvo [https://www.instagram.com/andycolonvo] 🎧 Listen to the Podcast: • Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/12rJLlkJLvPqv1Q6rSm9ll • Apple Podcasts → https://apple.co/4jGoTO0 [https://apple.co/4jGoTO0] 🛍️ SHOP & SUPPORT THE CHANNEL • MOLA-inspired shirts, mugs, and hats: https://mola-merch.creator-spring.com/ [https://mola-merch.creator-spring.com/] * Books & gear from the show: https://www.amazon.com/shop/themysteriesoflatinamericawithandrewcolon [https://www.amazon.com/shop/themysteriesoflatinamericawithandrewcolon] 🎥 WATCH NEXT: • Aztlán: The Original Migration Myth → https://youtu.be/IpvObjsMlMU • The Hidden History of the Ñ → https://youtu.be/ZO_QPnS6SRc 🎙️  HIRE ME TO VOICE YOUR NEXT PROJECT Professional bilingual narration for documentaries, training videos, and podcasts. https://andycancun.com [https://andycancun.com] 🌎 ABOUT THIS CHANNEL I'm Andrew Colón, and I tell the stories of the myths, legends, history, and mysteries of the Americas — so those of us with roots here know our own stories, and everyone else can finally understand them.

She Had To Dress As A Man To Join Pancho Villa’s Army—And Was Rewarded With...

They followed her into battle. They never knew she was a woman. And when the truth came out, the system erased her. To fight inside Pancho Villa’s army, Petra Herrera cut her hair, wore men’s clothes, and became Pedro Herrera. As Pedro, she led sabotage missions, destroyed bridges, cut power to entire cities, and helped take Torreón — one of the most strategic railway hubs in northern Mexico. When her secret came out, her soldiers stayed loyal. The system didn’t. She was denied rank, denied recognition, and forced to build her own all-women fighting unit. By the time the war ended, her victories belonged to everyone but her. Her name vanished from the records — but not from memory. This episode follows Petra Herrera’s life from the battlefield to the silence that followed her death, and the journalist who finally asked the question that brought her story back: Where were the women? If Petra’s story stayed with you, share it with someone who should hear her name. If you know more about Petra — or your family passed down stories about women who fought — leave them in the comments. That’s how we keep people from disappearing again. Subscribe to get more stories like this. One click tells the world these histories deserve to be heard. Some of the Women Heroes of the Mexican Revolution: Adela Velarde Pérez Amelia Robles Ávila Margarita Neri Ángela Jiménez Carmen Armelia Robles María Esperanza Chavira Carmen Parra Catalina Zapata Muñoz Ángela Gómez Saldaña Rosa Bobadilla Valentina Ramírez Avitia Encarnación Mares María de la Luz Espinoza Barrera Clara de la Rocha Carmen Vélez Petra Ruiz María Quinteras de Meras These names prove Petra Herrera was not an exception — she was part of a history that was never written down.

ATLANTIS: Original Home of The AZTECS???

Was Aztlán—the legendary homeland of the Aztecs—connected to Atlantis? This episode explores where that idea comes from and why it has lasted for more than a century. In The Mysteries of Latin America, we take a careful look at the proposed link between Aztlán, the place of origin described in Mexica tradition (the people most of the world calls the Aztecs), and Atlantis, the lost island civilization described by Plato. Rather than pushing a conclusion, this episode walks through the sources, timelines, and interpretations that have fueled the debate—from 19th-century writers like Ignatius Donnelly to modern researchers revisiting humanity’s deep past. You’ll hear about: * Who the Aztecs really were—and why the name Mexica matters * What Mexica migration traditions actually describe * Plato’s account of Atlantis and why it was never finished * Why timeline gaps complicate—but don’t end—the conversation This episode is part of the ongoing Searching for Aztlán series, exploring myths, legends, history, and unresolved mysteries across the Americas. If you find value in these investigations, subscribing helps support future episodes and keeps the series going.