Potosí and its logic of long-term exploitation

PAULA C. ZAGALSKY; ROSSANA BARRAGÁN

Viena

Congreso; Worlds of Related Coercions in Work (WORCK) Conference 2 / European Labour History Network (ELHN) Conference 4.; 2021

University of Vienna (Austria)

Commodities Frontiers concept underlines the continuous expansion in the exploitation of resources in the rise of capitalism and in the making of the modern world. This means “processes and sites of incorporation of resources, land, energy, and raw materials”. But what happens with sites that have a long and sustained exploitation during its booms and after them? Potosi constitutes a privileged site to explore the logic of long-term exploitation. It began to be worked around fifteen forty five and it continues until today. Its analysis allows us to think about the main topic that gathers us: the environmental and social impacts.