Francisco Pizarro's Ruthless Quest for El Dorado
Francisco Pizarro, who arrived in Peru to find the legendary lost city of gold, El Dorado, overthrew the wealthy Inca empire and inaugurated Spanish rule there.
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Transcript
NARRATOR: In 1532, the Spanish Army set sail for the Pacific coast of South America to explore its unfamiliar terrain. Conquistador Francisco Pizarro is the leader of the expedition. Once a simple Spanish pig farmer, he is now out to get his fill of adventure and riches in the New World. Among his crew are decommissioned soldiers, who like him have little to lose.
Pizarro is out to find El Dorado, the legendary city of gold rumored to contain unimaginable gold treasures from a lost empire. The ship drops anchor in Tumbes, a city in that lies in the north of modern-day Peru. The soldiers march for days without stumbling upon resistance or riches.
PROFESSOR JOSÉ ANTONIO DEL BUSTO: "When Francisco Pizarro set foot on land in Tumbes, he has no idea that anything of interest is there. He and his soldiers failed to spot the inordinate wealth buried there, artifacts of ancient cultures predating the Incas, like the Moche culture, who had inhabited the area 500 years before the Incas. The tomb of the Lord of Sipán is one of the great treasures the Spanish failed to notice. Naturally, the indigenous people kept it secret to protect it from being looted."
NARRATOR: When Pizarro finally does come face to face with the indigenous people, he mercilessly ambushes them. The Incas are unarmed and conquering them proves to be child's play. Conquistador Pizarro relies on barbaric methods to carry out his mission. He has but one goal in mind: to acquire the riches that are to be had here. The illegitimate son of a career soldier, the illiterate Pizarro demands ransom from the Incas and indeed amasses great riches. Envy, however, quickly leads to insurrection.
DEL BUSTO: "Pizarro was nonchalant when it came to his personal safety and well-being. Feeling invincible, he took no precautions and did not rely on the protection of the bodyguards at his disposal. His enemies were well aware of this and stormed the Lima palace and killed him."
NARRATOR: In the end, it was twelve of his own men who assassinated Francisco Pizarro.