The answer is treason.
Vasco Nunez de Balboa, a Spanish conquistador of the 16th century is recognized for his expeditions into the New World for the empire of Spain. He became so powerful and influential following his many conquests that a rival Pedro Arias Davila, serving as a Spanish governor had him executed on false charges of treason. As a result of Balboa's conquests, specifically claiming the Pacific Ocean for Spain, allowed for expansion, conquest, and colonization of the New World.