Well its been a few weeks, but these are the worst kind of blog posts, so I will spare you the details. Suffice to say, I was tired when I got back from Bolivia and got to know my sofa a little better. In the meantime, I developed photos, edited, chopped them up.
And here they are: three short photo essays on the Mineros de Bolivia
Potosi: The ‘rich hill’ of Cerro Rico, towering above the southern town of Potosi was once the largest mine in the world and funded the Spanish empire for 400 years. Today, small cooperatives work in terrible conditions in the mines for little reward. But the mining community remains close knit. On All Saints Day, November 2, the miners visit the town cemetery and toast the many friends and family who have died in the mines.
Pulacayo was once one of the grandest towns in Bolivia and home to the first railway in the country. Now its houses, cinema and hospital lie empty and there remain less than 200 families in the town. While I was there, the town was discussing a new business venture with North American mining companies which may change the future of Pulacayo.
Huanuni: Only weeks before Huanuni was the site of violent clashes between company and independent miners that left 16 dead. In response to the crises the government caved to demands and announced they would nationalise the mines. Instead, they employed all 4000 workers in Huanuni and postponed the nationalisation. These are pictures from the ‘Great day of Nationalisation’, October 31st, 2006.
I hope you enjoy, comments are most welcome.
on Jan 25th, 2007 at 3:20 am
My sister, our parents and I lived in Bolivia for quite some time when we were young. We lived in Pulacayo & Siglo XX. There were no American schools at that time, our mother home schooled us.
Our father worked in the mines at that time, he was the superintendent. it was 1952.
Thanks for the pictures, they brought back memories.