Potosí Mines (Since 1545) (2020)

The mines of Potosí, in present-day Bolivia, have been producing silver since the 16th century. Dug into 4,800-metre-high Cerro Rico de Potosí, they were first worked by indigenous and African slaves, and the silver they produced contributed to the wealth of the Spanish Empire and the rest of Europe during the colonisation of the Americas. The city of Potosí still lives in the shadow of Cerro Rico (‘Rich Mountain’) and the exploitation of the many miles of mine shafts continues to form the basis of the local economy. Two centuries after declaring independence from Spain, Bolivia has failed to put in place measures to protect the almost 15,000 workers, including children, who continue to work in the mines. Although women have long worked alongside men, they are considered to bring bad luck, leading to differences in remuneration and a lack of knowledge about mining work. As a result, many have chosen to leave the shafts and engage instead in open-pit mining.