Potosi and the Silver Mines

Eight million people have died in the mines since Colonial times, including numerous of slaves brought over to mine silver.

Potosi (said to be the world´s highest city 4060M) was once one of the wealthiest cities in Latin America - the Las Vegas of S.A. full of prostitutes, gamblers and merchants all becoming rich off the silver veins of the mountains and underpinning the Spanish economy for 2 centuries.

The mountains have been depleted of its wealth but still employ 15,000 miners across 40 mines. Taking a tour of the mines gives light to the appalling conditions they work in, largely unchanged since colonial times - an eye opening and shocking experience to say the least.