In this episode of Along the Amazon River, I explore the story of Lope de Aguirre, a Spanish explorer who became famous for his rebellion, cruelty, and obsession with power. He joined an expedition to find the legendary city of gold, El Dorado, but instead, he led a violent mutiny, declared war on Spain, and even killed his own men.

Aguirre’s story is full of mystery. I will also look at how filmmaker Werner Herzog turned Aguirre's life into movie, Aguirre, The Wrath of God, which mixes history with legend.

Host: Giovanni Minicucci

Voice: George Gabriel

Sources:

Baraibar,Álvaro. “Lope De Aguirre: La Construcción De Una Imagen Del Poder.” Alpha:Revista de Artes, Letras y Filosofía, no. 33, Dec. 2011, pp. 187–200. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.proxy.uchicago.edu/10.4067/S0718-22012011000200014.“Lope de Aguirre.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.,www.britannica.com/biography/Lope-de-Aguirre. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025. “The Truth about Lope de Aguirre, Who Is Mentioned in ‘Interference.’” Semiosis,2 July 2024, semiosispax.com/extras/the-truth-about-lope-de-aguirre-who-is-mentioned-in interference/#:~:text=Murder%3A%20Aguirre%20himself%20killed%20or,die%20in%20the%20Amazon%20jungle.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Movie, 1972).