What role did bartolome de las casas do in new Spain?

Bartolomé de las Casas was a Spanish Dominican friar and missionary who played a significant role in New Spain as an advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples. Initially a landowner and encomendero, he underwent a transformation and became a vocal critic of the mistreatment and exploitation of Indigenous populations by European colonizers. He lobbied for legal reforms and the abolition of the encomienda system, arguing for the humane treatment and conversion of Native Americans. His efforts laid the groundwork for later discussions on human rights and colonial policy in the Americas.