The Cerro Rico Mines, Potosi – Spanish Colonial History in Bolivia

Posted by Tony Dunnell Oct 5, 2009

The mines of Cerro Rico in Potosi, Bolivia, provide a unique monument to Spanish colonial history in South America. The city of Potosi, located in the Bolivian highlands, is itself a fascinating blend of colonial architecture and modern-day Bolivian society. Looming above the city, an ever present reminder of both former glories and unimaginable suffering, is Cerro Rico (the "Rich Hill").

The Tragic History of Cerro Rico, Potosi

Potosi was once one of the wealthiest cities in the world. With the arrival of the Conquistadors in the 1540s, the silver-rich Cerro Rico was soon used to fund both the rapid expansion of Potosi and the Spanish Empire as a whole. For the Spanish, it was a discovery of great importance. For the indigenous workers, enslaved by their new rulers and forced to work in the mines, it meant a short life of brutal hardship and toil. When the native workers were spent, the Spanish turned to African slave labor – but these slaves were to fair no better. In total, it is estimated that a shocking 8 million lives were lost in the Cerro Rico mines.

Potosi & Cerro Rico Today

Although Cerro Rico has been largely stripped of its wealth, Bolivian miners continue to risk their lives in the mines today. Techniques have changed little and lives are still lost. Many of the miners contract the lung disease silicosis. Prolonged exposure to mineral dust can be fatal, but the miners (some as young as 11 years old) have little choice but to work long and hard to earn enough to survive.

Today, tours to the mines offer an escape for a lucky few. Many of the tour guides are ex-miners, and all of them are grateful for an opportunity to earn a living taking tourists into the depths of Cerro Rico, rather than chipping away at the mine face for up to 20 hours a day.

To find out more about Cerro Rico, read the following articles covering the mines from the arrival of the Spanish to the present day:

• A History of the Potosi Mines in Bolivia
• Mining Cerro Rico in Potosi, Bolivia
• The Potosi Mines – Bolivia Vacation Attractions