In 1545 Spanish conquerors discovered pure silver in a mountain in the Inca region of Kollasuyo, todays Bolivian Altiplano. They named this mountain Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) and the prosperous and powerful city born at its base, Potosí. Soon they created the biggest mining industry in its time, sustained by a merciless forced labour system, La Mita.
Today the Cerro Rico of Potosí is operated by more than forty-five cooperatives of miners, who work under dreadful conditions similar to those of their ancestors in colonial times. El Tío (The Uncle), the Lord Demon of the mine, is the true owner of the veins, and the miners worship him to win his favour. In exchange, the men must sacrifice their lungs in the obscure maze of the mountain tunnels.
Silver, zinc and lead are extracted from the entrails of the Cerro Rico and then exported as raw material to developed countries, where they are transformed into expensive finished metal products. International metal prices are continually rising due to world demand, yet the working conditions of Bolivian miners remain the same. This is the reality of those who live off the Cerro Rico of Potosí, the Children of the Silver Mountain.