Potosí: symbol of European colonialism and exploitation of Latinamerica. At least 140 millions of tons of silver left Potosí towards Europe, half of all metal that was imported legally from the Americas and 3 times the amount of silver known at that time. All richness of the mine left the continent or was kept in the hand of a very small group of privileged Spaniards. Like this, together with other primary sources exploited on the continent, Potosi´s silver financed Europe´s starting capitalism - and least in Spain, where the silver was directly forwarded to english, flamish and german bankhouses that financed the wars of the kingdom. 6 to 8 millions of indian and afrikan slaves died by doing the forced labor in the mines.
Today it is posible to visit what is left from the big business. The richest silver venes where exhausted by the end of the 17 century and the spanish and international merchants concentrated on other primary sources like carribean sugar, amazonian rubber or anden cobre. Nevertheless, the mine kept on running. It was only in 1952 when the mines where nationalized and the Bolivian government gave lincenses to cooperatives of workers who since then run the business independently. Today 38 cooperatives are digging for silver and other minerals, about 6000 workers are employed by the cooperatives.
Rolando, one of the workers we spoke with in the mines, told us that he earns between 4000 and 6000 bolivianos a month (that is between 400-600 €) depending on the material he finds. You see us digging a hole with him to install some dynamite, an exhausting work which needs about an hour for some 20 centimeters. His life experience lays around 55 years, he is working for 18 years in the mines. Although the working conditions are lousy and the income not guaranteed, he is content and proud to work in the mines. A private company, he says, might pay a constant wage but wold defenitly exploit the workers more as history proofed. The cierro rico ("rich montain") will have some more silver for 15 to 20 years. Then Potosí will become only a museum that remines of the horror of colonialism.
Today it is posible to visit what is left from the big business. The richest silver venes where exhausted by the end of the 17 century and the spanish and international merchants concentrated on other primary sources like carribean sugar, amazonian rubber or anden cobre. Nevertheless, the mine kept on running. It was only in 1952 when the mines where nationalized and the Bolivian government gave lincenses to cooperatives of workers who since then run the business independently. Today 38 cooperatives are digging for silver and other minerals, about 6000 workers are employed by the cooperatives.
Rolando, one of the workers we spoke with in the mines, told us that he earns between 4000 and 6000 bolivianos a month (that is between 400-600 €) depending on the material he finds. You see us digging a hole with him to install some dynamite, an exhausting work which needs about an hour for some 20 centimeters. His life experience lays around 55 years, he is working for 18 years in the mines. Although the working conditions are lousy and the income not guaranteed, he is content and proud to work in the mines. A private company, he says, might pay a constant wage but wold defenitly exploit the workers more as history proofed. The cierro rico ("rich montain") will have some more silver for 15 to 20 years. Then Potosí will become only a museum that remines of the horror of colonialism.
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