South America has several dominant influences that form its culture and cuisine. The first major influence came from the three civilized nations of South and Central America the Incas in Peru and Chile, the Mayans in Central America. and the Aztecs in Southern Central Mexico. Next came the explorers and settlers The Spanish who conquered and claimed Mexico, the entire area that is now Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador. Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay. Argentina and parts of Chile. The Spanish, were under the rule of the Catholic Church, which meant they were to convert all heathens at all cost. The Portuguese, and in small part the English also influenced different regions of the continent.