Beneath the Surface: Child Labor and Policy Failure in the Mines of PotosÃ, Bolivia
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Jesse Wolf
Presenter(s): Jesse Wolf
Mentors(s): Mario Jimenez Chacon
Beneath the Surface: Child Labor and Policy Failure in the Mines of Potosí, Bolivia Potosí has been associated with silver since 1545, when the Spanish began extracting vast amounts of wealth from Cerro Rico, the “Rich Mountain.” For centuries the mines have shaped the region’s economy and identity. What receives less attention today is that children still work in these mines. Some are as young as six years old, entering tunnels before sunrise to haul rock and work in conditions filled with silica dust that can permanently damage the lungs. This poster looks into why child labor in the mines of Potosí has been very hard to eradicate. One factor was the Bolivian Child and Adolescent Code of 2014, which reduced the legal working age to ten and received significant international criticism. Even though the legislation was abolished in 2018, the abolition did not have a profound effect on the situation on the ground. Children still work in the mines mostly due to the same reasons: abject poverty, lack of state support, and the regional economy that is still largely dependent on mining. The problem also lies outside Bolivia. Minerals extracted from Cerro Rico move through global supply chains and eventually appear in consumer electronics and jewelry sold around the world. The economic system related to these mines is, in that way, a global one. Addressing child labor in Potosí will probably require action at multiple levels, such as stricter implementation of labor regulations in Bolivia and more extensive inspection of mineral supply chains by international companies that profit from these resources.