Frei Betto: I am not a Historian, I am a Memoirist

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 17 (acn) I am not a historian, I am a memoirist, said today Dominican friar, writer, journalist and philosopher Frei Betto, during the presentation of his novel Minas del Oro, at Havana's International Book Fair.

The Brazilian intellectual explained that his books are rather based on memoirs and that this one, in particular, is based on an extensive research work that led him to read a total of 110 texts, some written during the colonial period and others about it.
Minas del Oro , printed in Cuba by the Arte y Literatura Publishing House, tells the story of several generations of a family, woven around the exploitation of the riches found in the region of Minas Gerais, birthplace of the author.
This territory was the center of Brazil for two centuries, due to the infinite amount of gold it had; however, I did not know a novel that had the intention to portray the 500 years of the exploitation of gold and diamonds that was carried out there, expressed at the Fortaleza San Carlos de La Cabaña Betto, also a theologian and an anthropologist.
During the presentation of the text, Cuban writer and intellectual Leonardo Padura said the novel delves into, besides the process of conquest, colonization and exploitation of the place, other details such as its religion, music, architecture and culinary culture.
Carlos Alberto Libânio Christo, better known as Frei Betto, is a priest of the Order of the Dominicans, recognized worldwide for his progressive ideas and support for liberation movements in Latin America, Among his extensive literary work we find titles such as Fidel y la Religion.