Eduardo Galeano, in the first chapter of his masterpiece: “Open Veins of Latin America” describes the mines of Potosí. The history of this Bolivian town is the paradigm of European colonial exploitation. In Potosi the natives were forced to work as slaves to extract huge amounts of minerals that were then exported to Spain. The city was founded at the foot of Cerro Rico, a mountain full of mineral veins, particularly silver, so that the tip was said to shine under the rays of the sun. By 1625, Potosi had become one of the most heavily populated cities in the world. In its first 28 years of existence, the number of inhabitants had reached that of London and had even surpassed Rome, Madrid and Paris.

To give you an idea of the popularity he had achieved, its enough to say that Cervantes in his Don Quixote, had coined a neologism: its worth to Potosí was of immeasurable value.

With the passing of time, the silver was exhausted and the Cerro Rico is now, after four centuries of savage drilling, no longer rich. Emptied of its minerals, there are also those who swear that it has lowered by a few tens of meters. To this day, the natives who transplanted there centuries ago, still live by removing the remnants of the generous mountain and getting drunk every time they re-emerge in the sunlight. Today, Potosi is no more than a village of modest size.

In the village there is an adage that says: “marry a miner, they gain well and die soon”. While the first part is not true, at least compared to western standards, you can bet on the second.

The average life of the miners is 40 years due to diseases caused by breathing silica and asbestos dusts and also the high number of accidents.

The work generally takes place in areas where the air is polluted, full of puddles of toxic water and tunnels supported by old beams. The old miners warn that it is better to earn less to work on contaminated sites, even if they are difficult to access. However, they do recognize that younger people prefer dangerous areas, expecting to gain more. “There are young people coming to work here at 20 and in four or five years they can barely stand,” commented one miner.

Miners in Potosí pass their days in the mine, taking out an amalgam from where they can separate tin and, if they are lucky, some silver. They gain just by selling it, no minimum wage, no healthcare. Rockfalls happen more and more often, as the miners explode dynamite everyday at noon, trying to dig deeper.To keep on going, they chew coca leaves and once they come back to surface, they get drunk with pure alcohol. No options, they live the life of their fathers and their sons enter the mine when still kids.

They worship el Tío (The devil), who they consider to be the lord of the mine, the minerals and the miners. When they enter the mine, they go to the his sanctuary to offer coca, tobacco and alcohol; then they walk down, betting the devil will help them to come back alive.

Many wont.




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