IN STEREO

I always emphasise – although it sounds trite to say the same thing – that the reference point is the Cerro Rico (and the cold, clearly). I mean, without the mountain then Potosí would not exist. If the mountain didn’t exist, the churches wouldn’t either, later on. I don’t think there would have been Bolivia – or it would have been different, I don’t know. And Bolivia only exists because of Potosí, [even] until now. [So] without the mountain, there is no Bolivia. It hurts me a lot because I did not see that the mountain was like this. I mean, they tell you, but I see in person that it is like this, and it hurts me a lot because the mountain is part of our life. It hits me hard. – Gris

[Potosí] has always been an exploited city. I want you to understand that with all the silver that has left the mountain, this should be a big city. It should be, I don’t know… modern, let's say, but maybe always with its historical centre. But an immense city, right? Once, we didn’t have anything. And we carry on the same: it seems that we are poorer, we are going backwards. [So] I want you to understand [us] saying, “Where is all that money that they’ve taken out, that they have made? Where is it?” Most of the silver is in Europe, you see? They have developed everything there, haven’t they? – Ronald