I respect your position. I like to separate the waters. Many people lost their lives to build these buildings, that would be unacceptable under the modern Health and Safety regulations, that didn't exist at the time. Times were brutal then. Everyone has a different opinion and view on things. Nothing we can do about it.

In Latin America, what killed more natives was the flu that the soldiers brought with them. I fully understand what you're saying but those times were brutal. The same way I believe some might have been forced to work on this place, some would take pride in leaving something to be admired in the future.

@Paddypereira I am not talking about Latin America in general but about Mexico en particular...
BTW, no the flu but the venereal diseased and the exploitation of the people obligated to work in the mines (Mita and Yanaconasgo Systems) from Mexico to Argentina were the big killers. Needless to say, the flu """helped""" a lot.

Thanks for the update in information. I learned something today from you. I thought it was the flu the main cause.

@Paddypereira All depends on the text / time / place you study. I am a Spanish speaking person and a professor of said lang. and lit. Maybe that makes the difference.

@DUCHESSA I do speak Spanish but I'm not very good at History. So I have to thank about that.

@Paddypereira I know you speak Spanish (your last name) but -I assume- you study in USA and that, also, makes a difference on this subject.

@DUCHESSA, I have never been in the US. I'm Portuguese and I live in Dublin, Ireland. I've learned Spanish by myself, as it's very similar to Portuguese.

@Paddypereira 1. I know very well where Dublin is...in fact, is Ireland's capital. 2. I should have realized you are Portuguese since your name spelling is "Pereira" and no Pereyra. 3. No, Spanish and Portuguese are not "that " similar ....both languages are easier to learn (by a native of the other one) but the pronunciation and grammar -like with Italian- are not that similar. I am from South America so is easier for me to understand a Brasilian than a Portuguese person.

@DUCHESSA very true. Indeed a Brazilian is easier to understand than a Portuguese. They have had different influences than us while the language developed through ages. Still, I find Spanish and Portuguese very similar. Same basis in Latin.

@Paddypereira Portuguese and Gallego indeed are similar...specially about the pronunciation of the ZZZZZZZ. Spanish and Italian are a lot closer than Spanish and Portuguese

@DUCHESSA, there are differences, yes, but many words are the same. I don't think they are that different. Galician and Portuguese used to be the same language and are almost the same, despite the different pronunciation. The culture from Galicia and from the North of Portugal are almost identical.

@Paddypereira You surprised me; I didn't think you knew the facts you mentioned. As a professor of Spanish I know them but are not common knowledge. Still, Spanish is a lot closer to Italian than is to Portuguese.

@Paddypereira BTW, they are going to kick us out of these thread LOL for running out of the main theme.

@DUCHESSA I hope not, I'm enjoying the conversation. Well, I disagree as I speak a bit of Italian as well and I found Portuguese and Spanish more similar, despite the fact that Italians understand better Spanish than Portuguese. That's my opinion, of course. Inside Spanish there are different accents, some of them very close to Portuguese. This will be a matter of discussion for quite a while.

@Paddypereira Well, the accents are common in all countries, in some countries they are the result of some isolation -sometimes geographical and sometime because distance...and in other countries could be because the proximity with other nations (Gallego and Portuguese / Brazilian Portuguese and Northern Argentinian Spanish. I love the impact of Geography on the languages.
I hope the other members are enjoying as well.

@DUCHESSA, everybody's free to join the conversation.

@Paddypereira Absolutamente / absolutely

I understand what you're saying. Still is a work of art.

@Paddypereira yes, but the history behind is bloodcurdling..

Agree.