Brevísima relación de la destruición de las Indias

To begin to read, understand and interpret the "Very Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies" one must keep in mind that, although its subject matter is strictly historical, it is not a history of the conquest and colonization of America (that is why Las Casas began write his "History of the Indies"). In its final version, the "Brievísima" is something entirely different: an accusation of culpable negligence launched against the crown and its advisors, for their inaction in the face of the abuses that were already known to them, in the hope of making them change their attitude. On the other hand, we must take into account an often forgotten circumstance, and that is that it is a work written in three phases over a period of ten years (1542-1552), during which the setting, objectives and modes Father Las Casas' performance evolved significantly. The purpose of this critical and annotated edition is to provide the reader, in a concise and rigorous manner, with all the necessary tools to confront not only these fundamental questions, but also those that arise from the difficulties of the text and its complex historiographical, political and ideological.