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Potosi exists for one reason and one reason alone - silver. Cerritos Rico (Spanish for 'Rich mountain") which dominates the town contains the largest deposits of silver in the world. It is estimated that as much as 60,000 tonnes of the metal has been extracted from the mountain since mining started there in 1545.
The Incas knew that the mountain contained silver but, according to legend, their gods told them it was not destined for them and so they declared it sacred and didn't mine it. The Spanish Conquistadores clearly believed their God did intend it for them and as soon as they discovered it contained silver they started mining it for all it was worth.
Which turns out to be a lot. The influx of silver from Potosi into the Spanish Empire helped to fund the Empire's wars with the British, Dutch, French and Ottomans. It kick started the development of capitalism in Spain and across Europe and, by effectively creating the world's first international currency, was an influence on the world economy as far away as China. The influence of Potosi remains to this day - the $ symbol derives from the mark used to identify coins minted here.
But it came at a terrible cost. Appalling working conditions both in the mines, where there were high temperatures and humidities, and on the surface, due to the extensive use of mercury in the extraction process wreaked havoc on the indigenous population who were conscripted to work in the mines. At one point the supply of indigenous labour became insufficient and African slaves were imported into Potosi. Eduardo Galeano in his book 'Open Veins of Latin America' put the number of native people killed at 8 million and whilst most historians would say this is too high it is clear that the Quechua name of 'the mountain that eats men' is fully justified.
Today people still mine the mountain although these days it is on a small scale and mostly for tin rather than silver. It is so honeycombed with workings that in 2011 part of the cone collapsed and had to be reinforced with concrete. Some people even say that the whole mountain is on the point of collapse.
Incredibly some people take tours of the mines despite dire warnings about the dreadful and dangerous conditions that will be experienced. Of course the miners who still work in the mountain experience these every day and, to my mind, there is something obscenely voyeuristic about tourists going to gawp at men doing some of the most dangerous work in the world. We will not be going.
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