Juan Velázquez Tlacotzin

Who was Juan Velázquez Tlacotzin?

Juan Velázquez Tlacotzin was Cihuacoatl during the tenure of Moctezuma II, and Cuauhtémoc. He was grandchild of the Cihuacoatl Tlacaeleltzin.

Tlacotzin was captured and later tortured by Hernán Cortés along with Cuauhtémoc to reveal the location of Royal Treasures and gold of the Imperial Family. After the execution of Emperor Cuauhtémoc he was chosen as the Cuauhtemoc's successor. Immediately after the execution of Cuauhtemoc, Cortés ordered Tlacotzin be dressed as a Spaniard, given a sword and a white horse as symbols of his new position as Tlatoani. He became the Aztec ruler. He was baptized as don Juan Velásquez. He accompanied Cortés on his three years expedition but died in 1526 of an unknown sickness in Nochixtlan, before returning to Tenochtitlan. Cortés immediately chose his successor to be Don Andrés de Tapia Motelchiuh.