Ka cika wannan magana: Bayan tafiyar da Christopher Columbus ya yi zuwa Amirka, Mutanen Espanya sun aika da mutane da yawa zuwa yankin, kuma suka soma cin yankin Maya a shekara ta 1523. Ba da daɗewa ba bayan cin nasarar Daular Aztec, mai nasara na Spain Pedro de Alvarado ya fara
mamaye arewacin Amurka 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.