From Silver Mining in the Early Modern Age to Present Rights of Nature: an Environmental History of Bolivia through two case studies (16th-21st centuries)

Abstract

The thesis focuses on environmental degradation in Potosí, Bolivia, where Spanish colonizers discovered in the 16th century what became one of the most prolific silver mines of the early modern age. The dissertation first provides a brief introduction to the research methods adopted by environmental historians, highlighting their strong tendency towards an interdisciplinary approach. The second chapter delves into the environmental effects of Potosí mining activities, relying on historical as well as scientific data. The devastating effects of the use of mercury coming from Huancavelica, Peru, for the amalgamation process, are also mentioned, together with the negative repercussions on the social security of native communities. From Potosí, silver was traded globally, laying the foundations for the birth of an integrated world economy. The third chapter attempts a parallelism between this early modern economy, which largely depended on silver as its main monetary medium, and our contemporary economy, still highly dependable on extracting activities of fossil fuels. Among the strategies proposed to curb environmental damage is the ethical debate over Nature’s rights, which is particularly advanced in South America. In Bolivia, Ley 071 recognises Nature as a legal subject holding specific rights, while the neighbouring state of Ecuador was the first country in the world to grant Nature constitutional rights. The final chapter attempts to shed light on this complex debate and to estimate the still limited results these legislative instruments have produced.