Cerro Rico

Potosí · Bolivia · Mine

In the silver mountain of Potosí rules El Tío – the horned lord of the underworld who demands offerings or takes lives.

The silver mines of Cerro Rico have been worked since 1545 and are said to have swallowed countless workers' lives – the peak is called 'the mountain that eats men'. In the tunnels, clay figures of El Tío keep watch: a horned being with glowing eyes, a fusion of the Andean underworld god Supay and the Europeans' devil. Every shift begins with gifts of cigarettes, liquor and coca leaves, for whoever skimps on the offerings risks cave-ins, accidents and death. Above ground God rules, the miners say – but below ground, El Tío decides.

FAQ

Wo befindet sich Cerro Rico?

Cerro Rico liegt in Potosí, Bolivia.