Dr. Francisco López Muñoz
Francisco López Muñoz, Professor of Pharmacology and Vice-Rector for Research, Science and Doctoral Studies at Camilo José Cela University; founding member of the Monitoring Committee of the Spanish Human Rights Observatory; member of the Academy of Military Sciences and Arts; corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of the Basque Country; and full member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), together with Francisco Pérez Fernández, Professor of Psychology and Criminology and Security at the same university, examines the figure of the legendary Canary Islands corsair Amaro Pargo in the article «Amaro Pargo and the Treasure Made of Dreams», the second piece in the series «Corsair Chronicles», published in «Proa a la mar», the journal of the Royal Spanish Naval League.
The two experts explain that Pargo was a prominent Canary Islands corsair and merchant who lived between the late 17th and early 18th centuries, whose life and activities left a profound mark on Spanish maritime history and on the popular culture of the Canary Islands. A native of Tenerife, Pargo was actively involved in the Spanish Treasure Fleet (Flota de Indias), taking part in commercial and military expeditions that connected Spain with the Americas. His character is defined by a dual role: on the one hand, that of a legitimate merchant managing significant business ventures, and on the other, that of an authorized corsair who fought enemy pirates, particularly the Barbary corsairs who threatened maritime routes in the Caribbean and the Canary Islands.
During his lifetime, Amaro Pargo stood out for his bravery and skill in navigation and naval combat, significantly reducing the threat of piracy in his region through strategic alliances and decisive military action. His reputation as a corsair was accompanied by considerable wealth, accumulated through both his commercial and privateering activities. In addition, Pargo was a man of deep religious convictions and a committed benefactor to his community, supporting families in need and participating in charitable works, which adds a humanitarian dimension to his figure. He is surrounded by legends and myths, most notably the supposed existence of a hidden treasure, which has fueled popular imagination and contributed to the construction of his romantic and emblematic image. Despite these legends, his legacy is grounded in historical facts and documentation that reflect his importance in the fight against piracy and his role in 18th-century maritime trade.
Detail of the painting “Christ of Humility and Patience” in the Hermitage of Our Lady of the Rosary, featuring Amaro Pargo
Pargo died in 1747, leaving behind a complex legacy that combines his roles as corsair, merchant, and benefactor. His figure has transcended the historical sphere to become a cultural symbol of Spanish privateering and an emblematic character in the history of the Canary Islands, reflecting both the harshness of maritime life at the time and the values and contradictions of a man who knew how to navigate between law and legend. “His estate was bequeathed, as the records show, to close relatives—mainly nephews—and other trusted individuals, as well as to certain ecclesiastical and charitable institutions. And the corsair Amaro’s treasure would be nothing more than that mythological yearning which, recalling the extraordinary line with which Humphrey Bogart closed ‘The Maltese Falcon’ (1941), would be made of the stuff that dreams are made of,” the authors conclude.
A renowned popularizer of contemporary history, Spanish Golden Age literature, and medicine and pharmacology, López Muñoz holds doctorates in Medicine and Surgery and in Spanish Language and Literature. He is a specialist in Pharmaceutical Medicine and holds a diploma in Holocaust Studies from the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. He is a researcher at the Hospital 12 de Octubre Research Institute in Madrid and a member of prestigious international scientific academies. He has participated in numerous research projects and is the author of monographs and articles in his fields of expertise. Recently, he was honorarily appointed a Kentucky Colonel and an Honorary Member of the Civil Guard, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the creation of this distinction, the highest civilian honour of the corps, awarded on an exceptional basis.
