CERRO RICO MINES

The interest and ethics of this visit. What you'll see here is not a tourist attraction. The miners accept visitors (with the resulting profits for the agencies), because they want to make their living conditions known to visiting foreigners, but they're also proud to work there. That's the point of this visit, which is not about voyeurism (really, we insist on it), but rather about recognizing the role of the miners and Cerro Rico in history. A small amount of money is also donated to the cooperative, as well as gifts that you must purchase in advance with the guide, for the miners and the mine's famous tio protector . Their work deep in the socavones, the mine shafts, is accompanied by suffering, of course, but also by dignity, solidarity and tenacity. A few words exchanged with the mineros will be worth more than all the theoretical explanations on the economy, capital, exploitation or the Revolution.

The mines today. Some 4,500 miners work in the Cerro Rico mines every week, on a two-week vacation rotation, making a total of almost 13,500 miners. They indirectly support at least 50,000 people in the town, i.e. around 20% of its population. Today, the mines of Potosí are as close to hell as they were described by Spanish chroniclers 450 years ago. They work 10-hour days, 6 days a week. If they discover a vein, they'll get the equivalent of €150 a month. A pittance! The cooperative system that followed the denationalization of the state mines is actually quite perverse. It forces miners to become their own entrepreneurs by buying the materials they need to work. As a result, children come to help their fathers and brothers earn more money, and end up at the bottom of the mines at a very young age too, instead of going to school. It's a real scandal. Once you subtract the cost of dynamite, ammonium nitrate, coca leaves and hammers, the gross margin is very low. So why are miners miners? Some are miners out of pride and tradition, of course. But most prefer to stay here rather than go and plant coca in the Chapare valleys. Life is hard for Bolivia's little hands on the altiplano.

Before the visit. You and your guide go shopping to thank the miners for letting you into the Cerro Rico. Coca leaves and catalyst(lejía), cigarettes, cold drinks, dynamite and alcohol (unfortunately, 89° alcohol, which is drunk non-stop at the bottom of the mine) are given to the miners' cooperative on arrival, in addition to the entrance fee. You can also bring them something else as an option, for example, notebooks and pens for the llockallas (the kids) or a sweater to combat the cold, any equipment that might improve their daily lives.

The visit. There are three types of tour, so it's up to you to choose the one you prefer. Level 1 is suitable for families, the elderly, claustrophobics and groups: after a short stroll through the tunnel to the Tío de la Mine, you exit by the same route, turning back. Level 2 is more athletic and suitable for smaller groups with children who are comfortable in the galleries. You'll discover a number of galleries up to the Tío de la Mine. Level 3 is reserved for those seeking an extreme experience: you enter at the bottom of the mine, pass through very narrow underground galleries, climb ladders suspended above the void in the heart of the mine and emerge 300 m above! The tour begins with an observation of the carts that leave the mine to be emptied and sorted according to the size and interest of the ores. It's the women who do this outdoor work. Beware, too, of the ore carts speeding out of the mine! Depending on the type of tour you choose, you'll walk through galleries of varying lengths to watch the miners jackhammer holes to lay explosives (sticks of dynamite). In this case, you'll be asked to get out or move away before the explosion. Then, once the rock has exploded, pile the ore into carts for removal.

At the bottom of the mine, you'll meet the Tío, the tutelary god of the mountain entrails and master of the depths. La diablada, remember? Here, the devil awaits an offering from you. It's time to hand over the cigarettes, alcohol and coca leaves you've bought and shared with the Pachamama!

Tips and warnings. Dress in light, hard-wearing clothing. It will probably be cold at the start of the tour, but as you descend into the bowels of the mountain, the heat and humidity will increase. The agencies will lend you a lamp, helmet, rubber boots and overalls. It's best to bring a surgical mask to protect you from dust, smoke and noxious gases. Ask permission before taking any photos. Claustrophobic visitors and those in poor physical condition are not recommended. You'll have to crouch down and sometimes crawl on all fours for level 3 tours.