The Mysteries of Latin America With Andrew Colón

The Origin Story Of The Ñ-The Most Mysterious Letter in Spanish

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.
📚 Sources & Further Reading
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 of Honduras

The Lost City & the Monkey God CurseHidden deep in the Honduran jungle lies one of the greatest archaeological mysteries of the Americas: a lost city whispered about for centuries... and a terrifying curse that followed those who found it.
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:
National Geographic’s 2015–2017 coverage of the expedition (Douglas Preston reporting)
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston (2017)
Journal of Field Archaeology: “The Use of LiDAR in Mesoamerican Archaeology” (Chris Fisher et al.)
Theodore Morde’s archived expedition journals (Smithsonian Institution)
University of Houston’s NCALM (National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping)
Interviews with archaeologist Christopher Fisher (Colorado State University)
Instituto Hondureño de Antropología e Historia (IHAH)
Pech community interviews archived by Honduras Cultura y Historia

THE 5 STRANGEST CREATURES OF LATIN AMERICA

These aren’t just legends—they’re the stories I grew up hearing.In this episode, I’m taking you through 5 of the strangest and creepiest beasts from Latin America—from a serpent that swallows boats whole to a red-furred monster with a mouth in its chest.I’ve dug into eyewitness accounts, real reports, and the traditions that keep these stories alive.And the last one? It might be the weirdest thing I’ve ever covered.
– Andrew🎧 Hit play, and let’s get into it.
#Myths #Folklore #LatinAmerica #StrangeHistory #Cryptids

WHEN DID THE FIRST AMERICANS ARRIVE? MONTE VERDE

What if the first humans arrived in the Americas 20,000 years before we thought?In this episode of The Mysteries of Latin America, we journey to Monte Verde in southern Chile, where archaeologist Tom Dillehay uncovered fire pits, tools—and even chewed seaweed with human saliva—dating back nearly 15,000 years. This single discovery shattered the long-held Clovis First theory and changed our entire understanding of how the Americas were first populated.
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:• The rise and fall of the Clovis First theory• What was discovered at Monte Verde• The intense backlash—and how science caught up• Alternate theories: boats, kelp highways, and coastal migration• Other early sites: Pedra Furada, Topper, and White Sands footprints• Why Monte Verde matters for Indigenous history today
🎧 Prefer to read along? Check out the full script here: [Optional – Upload to your site or Substack if you want]
🔗 Sources & References• Dillehay, T. D. (1997). Monte Verde: A Late Pleistocene Settlement in Chile. Smithsonian Institution Press.• Dillehay et al. (2008). “Monte Verde: Seaweed, Food, Medicine, and the Peopling of South America.” Science, Vol. 320.• Waters, M.R., Stafford, T.W. (2007). “Redefining the Age of Clovis.” Science, Vol. 315.• Halligan et al. (2020). “Evidence of Humans in North America During the Last Glacial Maximum.” Science, Vol. 369.• UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List: Monte Verde Archaeological Site• National Geographic (2021): “First Americans Arrived Thousands of Years Earlier Than Thought”
💬 Got a theory about the first Americans?Drop it in the comments or email me at andy@andycancun.com
🔔 Like this episode?Follow The Mysteries of Latin America for more stories that challenge what we thought we knew.

AZTLÁN: WHERE IS THE MYTHICAL HOME OF THE AZTECS?

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?Tell me in the comments.DM me on Instagram @andycolonvo.Or email me at: andy@andycancun.com.
If this story moved you—share it.Send it to someone who should hear it.And subscribe to The Mysteries of Latin America so these stories make it to other generations.
Friend, mil gracias for listening.I’m Andrew Colón, and this is The Mysteries of Latin America.

5 Ancient Latin American Mysteries No One Can Explain

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:
🗿 The giant Olmec heads of La Venta, Mexico
⚫ The mysterious stone spheres of Costa Rica
🪨 Peru’s eerie Markawasi Stone Forest
🌎 Monte Verde, Chile—the site that rewrote American history
🏴‍☠️ The Urca de Lima, Brazil’s lost treasure ship
💬 Which of these stories should I cover in a full deep-dive episode? Drop a comment or message me directly:📲 Instagram: @andycolonvo📧 Email: andy@andycancun.com
🎯 Know someone obsessed with ancient mysteries or treasure hunting? Share this with them!
👇 Dive deeper with these sources I referenced:
INAH – La Venta (Mexico)
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica – Las Esferas de Piedra
Monte Verde by Tom Dillehay (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997)
Markawasi Foundation
UNESCO – Diquís Spheres
Brazilian Navy – Archaeology Division
BBC – The Mystery of the Olmec Heads
🎧 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

Cinco de Mayo: You Were Lied To About It-Is It Mexican Independence Day?

Most of us have been lied to about Cinco de Mayo.It’s not Mexican Independence Day. It’s not about tacos or tequila. So what is it really about?
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.🎙️ And if you want to hear how a French pastry chef kicked off the war that led to Cinco de Mayo... check this episode next:👉 ttps://apple.co/42r4ciV 
 
I raise a glass to you all!
 
¡Salud!
 

Jacobo Grinberg UPDATED: New Theories, New Voices, and the Unfinished Mystery

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.
👉 Follow me on Instagram: @andycolonvo
#JacoboGrinberg #LatinMysteries #Consciousness #CIASecrets #MysticScience #TheMysteriesOfLatinAmerica

Tequila: 3,000 Years of Culture, Survival, and Resistance

What if every shot of tequila carried 3,000 years of culture, survival, and resistance?
 
In this episode of The Mysteries of Latin America, Andrew uncovers the hidden story of tequila—from sacred Indigenous origins and pulque rituals to Spanish conquest and cultural mestizaje.
You'll meet the Chichimecas, Otomíes, Nahuas, and Mexica. Learn how agave was more than a plant—it was a survival tool, a spiritual symbol, and a gift from the goddess Mayahuel.
From colonial-era tabernas to the rise of Sauza, Cuervo, and the myth of that infamous worm, this is more than just a drink—it’s a bottled history of Mexico’s heart and fight.
Whether you’re proud of your roots, curious about Indigenous traditions, or just want to know what’s really behind your favorite spirit…
This is your story. In a bottle. ¡Salud!

THE STRANGE BUT TRUE STORY OF THE MEXICAN PASTRY WAR

"Mexico went to war with France… because of a bakery. Seriously."
"A French pastry chef in what’s now Mexico City claimed rioters trashed his shop in 1832. He demanded a whole of money’s worth of damages.
"Mexico blew him off. France stepped in…and demanded ten times the original amount…"
"When Mexico still said no? France sent ships, bombed Mexico’s most important port, and occupied the city.
All over a pastry shop…?"
"Or maybe—just maybe—it wasn’t really about the bakery at all."
"This is the story of a baker who wanted justice, a French king who wanted to flex, and a Mexican general who lost a leg… and turned it into a national monument.
 
"Welcome to The Mysteries of Latin America. I’m Andrew Colón, and this is the true story of La Guerra de los Pasteles—the Pastry War. A war that may have started with a bakery… but ended up being all about power, politics, and pride."
"On this channel, I tell stories about the myths, legends, mysteries, and unbelievable histories from across Latin America and the Caribbean. If you enjoy tales that are strange, fascinating, and sometimes absolutely true, hit that subscribe button, follow, and share the story,  and vámonos."