Pedro de León Portocarrero’s <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620): A New Christian Between Spain and Netherlands in Colonial Latin America

This essay explores the <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620), an anonymously authored account of viceregal Peru attributed to Pedro de León Portocarrero (c.1576–c.1620)—a Spanish New Christian merchant likely of Portuguese background. The analysis reveals that Portocarrero...

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Main Author: Gabriel Mordoch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1481
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author Gabriel Mordoch
author_facet Gabriel Mordoch
author_sort Gabriel Mordoch
collection DOAJ
description This essay explores the <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620), an anonymously authored account of viceregal Peru attributed to Pedro de León Portocarrero (c.1576–c.1620)—a Spanish New Christian merchant likely of Portuguese background. The analysis reveals that Portocarrero’s text undermines Spanish colonial authority not just by supplying secret commercial and military intelligence to Dutch officials but also by subtly critiquing Spain’s colonial enterprise on a symbolic discursive level. Consequently, the work offers an alternative, non-triumphalist, and dissident perspective on the Spanish colonization of Peru.
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spelling doaj-art-81c103d0105b41b8bc4359322b80e2832025-08-20T02:43:50ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442024-12-011512148110.3390/rel15121481Pedro de León Portocarrero’s <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620): A New Christian Between Spain and Netherlands in Colonial Latin AmericaGabriel Mordoch0University Library and Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAThis essay explores the <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620), an anonymously authored account of viceregal Peru attributed to Pedro de León Portocarrero (c.1576–c.1620)—a Spanish New Christian merchant likely of Portuguese background. The analysis reveals that Portocarrero’s text undermines Spanish colonial authority not just by supplying secret commercial and military intelligence to Dutch officials but also by subtly critiquing Spain’s colonial enterprise on a symbolic discursive level. Consequently, the work offers an alternative, non-triumphalist, and dissident perspective on the Spanish colonization of Peru.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1481Pedro de León Portocarrerocrypto-JewsNew Christiansmarranosviceregal PeruIberian Union
spellingShingle Gabriel Mordoch
Pedro de León Portocarrero’s <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620): A New Christian Between Spain and Netherlands in Colonial Latin America
Religions
Pedro de León Portocarrero
crypto-Jews
New Christians
marranos
viceregal Peru
Iberian Union
title Pedro de León Portocarrero’s <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620): A New Christian Between Spain and Netherlands in Colonial Latin America
title_full Pedro de León Portocarrero’s <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620): A New Christian Between Spain and Netherlands in Colonial Latin America
title_fullStr Pedro de León Portocarrero’s <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620): A New Christian Between Spain and Netherlands in Colonial Latin America
title_full_unstemmed Pedro de León Portocarrero’s <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620): A New Christian Between Spain and Netherlands in Colonial Latin America
title_short Pedro de León Portocarrero’s <i>Descripción del Virreinato del Perú</i> (c.1620): A New Christian Between Spain and Netherlands in Colonial Latin America
title_sort pedro de leon portocarrero s i descripcion del virreinato del peru i c 1620 a new christian between spain and netherlands in colonial latin america
topic Pedro de León Portocarrero
crypto-Jews
New Christians
marranos
viceregal Peru
Iberian Union
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/12/1481
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