| Bolivia 2007
Photographs by Lois and Don Porter 3/26/2007 |
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Beginning in the 1540s, the Spanish mined tons and tons of silver from Cerro Rico, using natives enslaved to dig and haul the ore under such brutal conditions that they depleted the population. Next they brought in literally millions of African slaves to continue the exploitation, again at staggering cost in human lives. The mines have continued on a reduced scale ever since, mining some silver, but then lots of tin, followed these days by zinc and lead. Most of the current mining operations are miner-operated copperatives – however that doesn’t mean the conditions have improved: they are still appalling. Tours are offered for the brave or foolish (our guide book warns of exposure to noxious chemicals and gases); one person we spoke with who toured the mines said she wished she had not. We avoided the mines.
On a bright note, we were delighted to find and purchase a “Potosina” hat for Lois, similar to the one in the Casa de la Moneda exhibit.
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