Who was bartolome?

Bartolomé de las Casas (1484–1566) was a Spanish Dominican friar, historian, and missionary known for his advocacy for the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas. Initially, he was granted encomienda, a system that allowed Spanish colonists to exploit indigenous labor, but he later renounced it and became a vocal critic of the mistreatment of Native Americans. His writings, particularly "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies," highlighted the brutalities of Spanish colonization and called for reform. De las Casas is often regarded as one of the earliest advocates for human rights in the New World.