Frei Betto

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Carlos Alberto Libânio Christo, better known as Frei Betto[1] (born in 1944, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) is a Brazilian writer, political activist, liberation theologist and Dominican friar. He was imprisoned for four years by the military dictatorship in 1969 for smuggling people out of Brazil as part of an ongoing series of attacks by the government on the church.[2]

In addition to work on eliminating hunger in Brazil,[3] Frei Betto is involved in various aspects of Brazil's politics. He currently works for the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,[4] for whom he is considered a spiritual advisor[5] and mentor.[6]

Frei Betto is often said to be a supporter of Fidel Castro and frequently visits Havana in an effort to repair relations between the two nations.[7] The two men collaborated on a book detailing Castro's views on Christianity, a surprising subject considering the Communist regime's treatment of religion.[8]

On January 26, 2006, Frei Betto joined other internationally renowned figures and Latin American authors such as Nobel-laureate Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Benedetti, Ernesto Sábato, Thiago de Mello, Eduardo Galeano, Pablo Armando Fernández, Carlos Monsiváis, Jorge Enrique Adoum, Luis Rafael Sánchez, Mayra Montero, Ana Lydia Vega and world famous singer/composer Pablo Milanés, in demanding sovereignty for Puerto Rico.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Skidmore, Thomas E. (1990). The Politics of Military Rule in Brazil, 1964-1985. Oxford University Press US, 355. 0195063163. 
  2. ^ Larry Rohter (2003-03-30). Brazil's War on Hunger Off to a Slow Start. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  3. ^ Larry Rohter (2002-10-08). Man in the News; Workingman President, Maybe - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  4. ^ Harold Olmos (2006-09-24). Brasil: Lejos del Radicalismo, Lula cerca de la Reeleccion. El Diario/La Prensa. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  5. ^ Harold Olmos (2006-09-24). Brazil's Silva Likely to Win Re-Election. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  6. ^ Alan Riding (1989-02-05). Brazil's Cardinal's Praise of Castro Stirs Protest. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  7. ^ Richard N. Ostling (1985-12-30). Castro Looks at Christianity. Time. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  8. ^ Intelectuales Apoyan Independencia para Puerto Rico (Spanish). People's Weekly World (2007-02-01). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
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