Spanish Abstract: El articulo analiza las voces “denuncia” y “delito”, estableciendo su conceptualizacion, tipologias y caracteristicas, como tambien sus cambios y continuidades en el tiempo. La denuncia fue una de las formas mediante las cuales se podia iniciar un proceso canonico penal en el Antiguo Regimen, cuya relevancia provino de su finalidad correctiva y por ser la formula que mas utilizaron los indigenas en el Nuevo Mundo para iniciar procedimientos penales. La denuncia podia ser judicial, es decir, la presentada ante el juez competente que tenia por finalidad satisfacer la felicidad publica. Asimismo, podia ser extrajudicial. En este ultimo caso, se trataba de la advertencia caritativa, que era realizada por un agente denunciante, con miras a corregir privadamente al hechor de la conducta delictuosa. Lo anterior es fundamental puesto que es lo que distinguio a la denuncia de las otras formas con las que se iniciaban los procesos penales canonicos y sus efectos juridicos. Asi, no todo delito denunciado implicaba una pena publica, diferenciandose de los delitos que se acusaban. Respecto a la voz “delito”, este articulo, a base de la casuistica de los foros de justicia, del arbitrio judicial y la opinion de los juristas delimita que practicas fueron consideradas transgresoras del orden, y por tanto delitos. A partir de su delimitacion, se ha realizado su tipologia, como tambien, se han establecido las penas o castigos que se aplicaron. English Abstract: The article analyzes the terms “complaint” and “felony” (or “crime”) establishing their conceptualization, typologies and characteristics, as well as their changes and continuities over time. In early modern times, the complaint was one of the ways in which criminal procedure in canon law could begin; its relevance resulted from its corrective purpose and from the fact that it was the formula most widely used by indigenous people in the New World to initiate criminal proceedings. The complaint could be judicial, that is, filed before the competent judge whose purpose was to satisfy public happiness. Likewise, a complaint could be extrajudicial. In this latter case, it was a charitable warning, made by a complainant agent, who aimed to privately correct the perpetrator of the criminal conduct. This aspect is fundamental since it distinguished the complaint from other ways to initiate canonical criminal trials and their legal effects. So not every felony reported entailed a public penalty, distinguishing itself from the crimes that were reported. Regarding the voice “felony”, this article, based on the casuistry of justice forums, judicial discretion and the opinion of the jurists, defines what practices were considered transgressions of order, and therefore felonies. From its delimitation, a typology of felonies has been developed, as well as the penalties or punishments that were applied have been established.