Top 5 Myths About Mexican Independence — and the Truth Behind Them

Hosted by Andrew Colón | The Mysteries of Latin America

If you're Mexican-American — or just fascinated by Mexico’s history — you’ve probably heard some creative versions of how Independence really happened.

Think Mexico’s Independence Day is Cinco de Mayo? Think Father Hidalgo shouted “¡Viva México!” and the next day everyone woke up free? Did Mexican Independence come after the Mexican Revolution?

Think again.

In this episode, we bust the top five myths about Mexican Independence — and reveal the messy, surprising, and often misunderstood truth behind each one. From important figures like Leona Vicario and Vicente Guerrero to the real timeline of independence (hint: it wasn’t overnight), this is the version of history you didn’t get in school or from your grandparents.

What you’ll hear:

If you’ve ever been curious about what really happened on September 16, 1810 — and why it matters today — this episode is for you.

History meets myth-busting. Culture meets truth.

Follow the podcast for more myths, legends, and mysteries from across Latin America!

THIS IS A MYSTERIES OF LATIN AMERICA SPECIAL PRESENTATION PODCAST INTERVIEW

Tequila isn’t just a drink—it’s the story of revolutions, betrayals, the Cuervo family empire, along with the Sauza family and other prominent names in the tequila industry. In this exclusive interview, author Ted Genoways reveals the hidden history of tequila and Mexico, and what they mean to each other and us today.

What if everything you thought you knew about tequila’s origins was only half the story?

We uncover the erased history of tequila from about 1880–1930—a period wiped from memory during and after the Mexican Revolution. This isn’t just about a brand. It’s about power, survival, identity, and the fight for Mexico’s soul.

From José Cuervo’s beginnings in the tequila business, to the rivalry with the Sauza family, to exile, backroom deals, cartels, and the Cuervo women who worked beding the scenes and on the main stage, this story has it all—Succession meets Narcos, with agave.

What You’ll Learn in This Interview

Note: I am not compensated in any way from book sales, the author or any brands mentioned in this interview

About The Mysteries of Latin America

I’m Andrew Colón. Every week, I share the myths, legends, histories, and mysteries of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean—so that Latinos in the U.S. know their stories, and everyone else learns ours.

If you enjoyed this video, hit like, drop your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe for more powerful stories from across this region.

#TequilaWars #JoseCuervo #MexicanHistory #TequilaHistory #MysteriesOfLatinAmerica

A little squiggle over the letter n has been around for more than 800 years — and its story involves medieval monks, a Spanish king, and tech companies that once tried to erase it from keyboards. Without it, “Happy New Year” in Spanish flips into something you definitely don’t want to wish your grandma.

In this episode of The Mysteries of Latin America, Andrew uncovers the journey of the letter Ñ — from Roman scribes to medieval Spain, from typewriters to computer keyboards, and from linguistic quirk to a global symbol of culture, identity, and pride.

If you’d like to dig deeper into the history of the Ñ:

Real Academia Española (RAE) – Ortografía de la lengua española (1741 and later editions)

Penny, Ralph. A History of the Spanish Language (Cambridge University Press, 2002)

Lapesa, Rafael. Historia de la lengua española (Gredos, 1981)

García Márquez, Gabriel – various essays and speeches on the defense of the Ñ (notably after Spain’s EEC debates in the 1980s)

Vergne, Aida. “¿Se va la Ñ?” Metro Puerto Rico (2013, April Fool’s prank article)

Hualde, José Ignacio. The Sounds of Spanish (Cambridge University Press, 2005)

Puente, Manuel Alvar. El español: orígenes y evolución (Espasa-Calpe, 1992)

The Lost City & the Monkey God Curse

In this episode of The Mysteries of Latin America, we explore the real-life search for the so-called White City—also known as the City of the Monkey God. From Indigenous legends and Spanish chronicles to a modern expedition using LiDAR technology, this is a story filled with obsession, discovery, and a string of chilling events that some say were no coincidence.

🎙️ Join host Andrew Colón as he unpacks the curse that struck researchers, the truth behind the Monkey God, and the sacred land at the heart of this mystery.

If you’ve ever been fascinated by lost civilizations, ancient ruins, or the eerie line between myth and reality—this is one you won’t forget.

Sources for Further Research:

These aren’t just legends—they’re the stories I grew up hearing.

– Andrew

#Myths #Folklore #LatinAmerica #StrangeHistory #Cryptids

What if the first humans arrived in the Americas 20,000 years before we thought?

But that’s not even the most shocking part…

Monte Verde may not be the oldest site. In fact, newer evidence hints that humans might’ve been in the Americas 33,000 years ago.

🌎 In this episode:

🎧 Prefer to read along? Check out the full script here: [Optional – Upload to your site or Substack if you want]

🔗 Sources & References

💬 Got a theory about the first Americans?

🔔 Like this episode?

Long before the Mexica built the mighty city of Tenochtitlán, they believed they came from a place called Aztlán—a mysterious homeland hidden somewhere to the north. But was it real? Or just a story meant to turn exile into destiny?

In this episode of The Mysteries of Latin America, I explore the legend, the migration, the gods who guided them, and the sacred signs that led them to Lake Texcoco. We’ll trace the roots of the Mexica through ancient codices, oral histories, and new theories—from desert caves to possible sites in Zacatecas and Chihuahua.

Have you heard a different version of the Aztlán story?

If this story moved you—share it.

Friend, mil gracias for listening.

From perfectly carved jungle spheres to a ghost ship loaded with Inca gold, these five unsolved mysteries are hiding all over Latin America—and they still defy explanation.

In this episode of The Mysteries of Latin America, I’m Andrew Colón, and I take you on a journey through:

💬 Which of these stories should I cover in a full deep-dive episode? Drop a comment or message me directly:

🎯 Know someone obsessed with ancient mysteries or treasure hunting? Share this with them!

👇 Dive deeper with these sources I referenced:

🎧 Subscribe to hear the myths, legends, and true stories they didn’t teach us in school—everywhere from Northern Mexico to Southern Argentina.

#LatinAmericanHistory #AncientMysteries #LostTreasure #Olmecs #MonteVerde #StoneSpheres #HistoryPodcast #TheMysteriesOfLatinAmerica #AndrewColon

Most of us have been lied to about Cinco de Mayo.

In this episode of The Mysteries of Latin America, Andrew Colón unpacks the real story behind Cinco de Mayo: a shocking military upset at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, how it came to symbolize resistance, and why it means so much more to millions of Mexican Americans today.

From a war sparked by European imperial ambitions to its unlikely revival during the Chicano Movement in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is a powerful story of survival, sovereignty, and pride—on both sides of the border.

🎧 Prefer your history with a twist? We’ve got you.

I raise a glass to you all!

¡Salud!

Mexican scientist Jacobo Grinberg was once called “the Einstein of consciousness.” In 1994, he vanished—no note, no trace.

Was it a CIA cover-up? A voluntary transformation into a mystic?

In this episode, I revisit the mystery with new theories, new handwriting analyses, and—for the first time—real responses from Grinberg’s own family.

From his daughter Estusha to his half-brother Ari Telch, the people closest to him say we’ve been asking the wrong question all along.

This isn’t just a story about disappearance. It’s a story about what Jacobo believed: that consciousness connects us all—and that reality might not be what we think it is.

🎧 Full story, right here on The Mysteries of Latin America.

#JacoboGrinberg #LatinMysteries #Consciousness #CIASecrets #MysticScience #TheMysteriesOfLatinAmerica