Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Bayan balaguron Mutanen Espanya na tafiye-tafiyen Christopher Columbus zuwa Amurka, Mutanen Espanya sun aika da balaguro da yawa zuwa yankin, kuma sun fara mamaye yankin Maya a 1523. Ba da daɗewa ba bayan da ya ci Aztec Empire, Pedro de Alvarado, wani ɗan Sifen, ya soma cin arewacin Amirka ta Tsakiya
ga Daular Spain. Farawa da zuwansa a Soconusco a cikin 1523, sojojin Alvarado sun ci nasara da kuma mamaye yawancin manyan masarautun Maya, gami da K'iche', Tz'utujil, Pipil, da Kaqchikel. A shekara ta 1528, mamayar Guatemala ta kusan cika, tare da Petén Basin kawai ya kasance a waje da yankin tasirin Mutanen Espanya. Masarautun Maya masu zaman kansu na ƙarshe <unk> Kowoj da mutanen Itza <unk> an ci su a ƙarshe a cikin 1697, a matsayin wani ɓangare na mamayar Mutanen Espanya na Petén.