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| Entrance of the mine area, with the Cerro Rico dominating |
Another 5h bus drive through the Andes make us reach Potosi, infamously known for its silver mines in the
Cerro Rico, which means "rich mountain".
Why infamous? Why "terrible"?
To start, it also has a nickname of "mountain that eats men alive", and, well, history and present here can only justify the words and nickname, unfortunately.
HISTORY
Early in the 16th century, few decades after the Spanish started to invade the Incas, they heard about a mountain where silver was extracted... and of course went there to take over the place.
The mining town of Potosi was founded in 1545, and it soon produced a fabulous amount of wealth, as most of the silver of the Spanish Crown came from there, and helped Spain and Europe to finance colonial empire control, wars around the world... and further control of the Inca territories.
Officially, more than 40,000 tons of silver were extracted from mid-16th to end 18th century, with 2 majors impacts:
1. due to such extensive mining, the mountain itself has diminished in height, reducing by an estimated few hundred meters!
2. about 8 millions "workers" were "killed", mostly Indian labor and some African slaves who were later "imported" (I really hate using this word for persons!) to help carrying. Yes, we are talking 8 millions people here, or almost 35,000/year...
Another dark point of European history, on top coupled with the use of religion to make Indians work: as explained in an earlier post, indigenous Andean culture was centered around Pachamama (Mother Earth). The Spanish conquerors understood her importance and she became synonymous with the Virgin Mary, helping to convert the indigenous to Catholicism... and also to threaten miners they would go to hell if they don't work in the mines. Nice, very nice :-((.
Ironically (I would say), although silver made the fortune of Spain, it also created inflation and was partially responsible for its economic decline in the 18th century. And after 1800, the mines were depleted, making tin as main products instead of silver... and somehow this "massacre" stopped. It was time, though it does not mean it is completely finished really.
PRESENT
Despite the lower silver amounts to extract, the mountain continues to be mined for silver to this day, as well as other minerals. Working conditions are terrible: the dust is supposed to contain silicon that leads to silicosis; water dropping from the walls and ceiling is said to contain arsenic and cyanide; fragile tunnels / walls lead to collapses; lack of oxygen combined with heat & humidity weakens lungs... With all this, miners have a short life expectancy (about 40 years old), and a good part of them start working in the mines at 16.
Unfortunately, many people do not have another choice than to work here, and there is about ! to 10,000 miners in activity. It can change pending the stock market prices of minerals, which impacts greatly families here. From internet search, it sounds like about 2 miners die every week from silicosis or others... so about 8% of the workforce, this is insane.
VISIT OF THE MINE
With all the above context, and all the warnings from guide-books on how it is dangerous and not easy "mentally" to visit the mines (clearly, you cannot be claustrophobic, nor too sensitive on safety and people's working conditions), I felt of course "balanced" to go. However, I wanted to grab this opportunity, however tough it would be, as understanding better the world I live in can only help me to better live it, at least it's what I believe.
It's a shocking experience, but it is really a good way to get a sense of the social price paid for the mineral wealth of the few.
A tough environment
I haven't said it yet but Potosi stands at 4,100m high, and the mines openings probably at 4,2 - 4,300 m high... You already miss oxygen and feel weak by being outside the mine, so going in will only keep reducing the available oxygen and increase the weakness feeling. To this, you need to add the dust, the heat / cold, humidity, small corridors going everywhere, left / right / up / down...
Briefing
Our local guide start with a briefing at the miners market, to explain us the above, and also show us what they use and come here to shop:
- coca leaves, of course, to stay alert and up 12 hours in the mines. Mixed with some minerals to increase or smoothen the impact and taste.
- cigarettes, but like really the basics ones.
- "potable" alcohol... with a 95% degree... to drink, yes. Very harsh to swallow!
- dynamite and explosives, to build the tunnels and extract minerals
Everyone of us buy some of these, so we can give it to the workers when we see them in the mines.
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| Coca leaves and minerals to chew while working |
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| The 95° alcohol... very cheap. |
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| Dynamite and explosives |
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The few courageous of the group to go into the mines, all geared up (yes, I am holding dynamite!)
me - Dennis - Becca - Daisy - Marten - Dave - Valerie |
1st part of the mine
Getting into the mine is actually a bit exciting, despite all the above... a mix of adrenaline and fear about what I am going to see I guess. Walking the 1st few hundreds meters is not as difficult as thought.
It is crazy how he tunnels make a real maze, it's actually incredible the mountain still holds up: we follow a main track, but there are openings on the left and right, as well as on the ground and the ceiling. Few wood beams here and there help consolidating the structure, but it doesn't look that safe, clearly. Particularly when you can hear workers drilling rocks far away to insert dynamite and prepare explosions!
10-15mn after our entrance, we met 2 low-class workers pushing a 1 ton mills over the "rail" tracks... wow, it does look very difficult, and I would want to help but... they keep going, after receiving some of our coca leaves bags.
We kept going through windy tunnels, sometimes having to crawl down a bit to progress, and can see some veins of silver or other minerals here and there.
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| Worker moving ore at the mine entrance, with the Potosi city in the background |
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| Beginning of the tunnel into the mines |
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| Offerings / gifts to Pachamama in the tunnel |
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| Low-class workers pushing & pulling a 1 ton trolley... |
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| Making our way through a think tunnel path |
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| Walking into a tunnel |
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| Crawling into a corridor |
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| A 3rd class worker, 16 years-old, putting rocks out of the tracks way |
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| Tunnel view of the underground "maze" |
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| A silver vein |
2nd part: it only gets worst
I didn't notice it immediately, as I guess the body can resist 30mn to these conditions without suffering too much. But once we started to walk back, after getting into about 700m of the mines, I started feeling really weak. Shaking legs, low stomach... I have to slow down the walk and help me with the sidewall. I act like nothing is happening, and everyone seems to do the same... but clearly, this is becoming really tough.
After some more tunnel walk which feels endless, we reach a side chamber near the main corridor, and our guide start explaining us about "El Tio". If is a kind of god, or more a diabolic figure, than the miners started to venerate, and make offerings to after being force to work for Pachamama / Virgin Mary. They said that "God" may rule aboveground, but that El Tio is in charge down below... therefore, it is a very important person, which really gets gifts all year-long, and we can see that going into that chamber.
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| Statues of Spaniards & Indians into the side-chambers |
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The group, into the El Tio chamber - fake smile for me...
In the last part, after 1h15 in the mine, we met the miners who were actually drilling rocks when we entered. Our guide talks with one of them (pictured below), and though I don't remember his name, I do remember that he is 21 years old, and started to work here at 16... It feels so weird to be seeing him here, observing such a tough work and life, while for us, in 15mn it is over. Sad.
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| A 21 year-old, 2nd class worker, in charge of explosives |
Despite the difficulties and horrible discoveries than this visit provided (I really feel ashamed to be European sometimes), I was happy about it. Not happy in the sense of glad, but happy to be able to understand a little bit how tough the lives of some can be, and how lucky & spoilt I am.
There are unfortunately still many places like this in the world, it only makes me admiring how all these people still succeed to live, while things are so easy for me / us. I / we should better realize this everyday, that would remove some whining & complaining.
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| The Cerro Rico, from a city tower: it looks nice, when far away |
