Nada menos que todo un hombre

|The Legacy of Colonization in Bolivia: |
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|Written by: Matthew Ryson|
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|18/02/2010 |
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Bolivia is one of the least developed countries in South America. Approximately two-thirds of the population live in poverty. Themajority of these people are subsistence farmers. Economically, Spanish colonialism made the country a mere exporter of unprocessed raw materials. The territory was called Upper Peru or Charcas during most of the Spanish Colonial era. It was under the authority of the Viceroy of Lima. Local government came from the Audiencia de Charcas located in Chuquisaca. The Spanish empire was becoming wealthierby way of the Bolivian silver mines. Potosi, location of the well known Cerro Rico was, for many decades, the largest city in the Western Hemisphere. (2)

In 1532, Bolivia's history changed drastically when the Spanish defeated the great Incas and other ethnic groups that had forever inhabited the region. The Incas were incredibly weakened by European diseases brought over by the Spaniards.They were unable to properly defend themselves and were conquered by an army of about 180 men led by Francisco Pizarro. The Spaniards were interested primarily in the silver mines discovered in the area. They exploited the region and its people savagely and coerced them to work as slaves to extract large amounts of minerals to export to Spain for the following 300 years. (1)
Consequently,Bolivia's society was and continues to have obvious differences and divisions between the impoverished indigenous class and the affluent mestizos and Europeans. Because of the Spanish colonization of Bolivia, the ethnic distribution was altered significantly. It is estimated to be 55% indigenous, 15% European, and 30% mixed or mestizo. Believe it or not, many German, Croatian, Serbian, Asian, MiddleEastern, and other minorities also live in Bolivia. (2) Many of these minorities descend from families that have lived in Bolivia for several generations.

It is very , however, that due to Bolivia's geographically isolated position, indigenous groups here were not as effected by European diseases as native peoples in other regions whose populations were severely diminished due to the diseasesthey were unable to fight. (1)

It is a probable reason why people of indigenous descent still currently make up nearly two-thirds of Bolivia's population. Furthermore, very few African slaves were sent into the region that is Bolivia today during the colonial period because there was a large enough indigenous population to use as laborers in the mines. Instead, the majority of African slaveswere taken to coastal regions, especially in Brazil. (1)

Indigenous people have been forced to live in unimaginable conditions during Bolivia's entire history, working in the mines and as laborers in agriculture. They were given very little or no education. (2) The literacy rate was incredibly low. Some people who were considered literate in reality only had the skills of writing their names...