Peninsulares

Peninsulares were Spaniards born in Spain who lived in the empire's possessions overseas, in the Americas, the Spanish East Indies or Spanish Guinea. Higher offices in Spanish America and the Philippines were held by peninsulares, who were distinguished from the criollos, Spaniards born in the New World, and from the insulares born in the Philippines. In some places and times, as during the wars of independence, they were called godos, 'Goths', in scorn, or in Mexico gachupines; godos is still used pejoratively for Spaniards in Chile and for peninsular Spaniards in the Canary Islands.