IN STEREO

Heritage is important, for tourists more than anyone. In truth, everyone’s forgotten about Potosí. They knew and they forgot. Who speaks of Potosí? Nobody. Our great gangsters do not say anything. They carry the name; they say they’re from Potosí – until they get higher posts. Nobody remembers. But I’m telling you, at least the tourist speaks. It won’t be much [but] at least they come around [and] chat. Cultural and natural heritage would bring more tourists and the people benefit from that. A few come to see the cultural heritage [of the city]. More go to the mountain. The mountain is the colonial, global heritage. Spaniards came to work. [Well,] they enslaved the people and the slaves worked. Since I’m a miner from the mountain, that’s all I know, haha.

We should support the tourists better here in Potosí, as they come to visit us from their country more or less to give support for Potosí. That’s why I said a while ago that everything is taken from Potosí. The whole world was made rich, but we are at the other end. That’s why we want better. Hopefully, the tourists would not [only] come to have fun – they would carry some ideas for Potosí, which has maintained those countries. That’s why I would claim from their governments. Also within our Bolivia, there are other places – Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, La Paz – that have grown because of this region, because of this mountain. The Cerro Rico is known worldwide, and now what’s left of our city? – Don Lazario