The Story of Basillo, ‘The Devil’s Miner’ (a documentary film watched prior to visiting Cerro Rico)

Basillo was ten years old when he started working in the silver mines of Cerro Rico, a mineral rich hill which shadows the town of Potosi. His father was dead so he had to step in and provide for his mother, younger brother and baby sister Vanessa. They lived next to one of the entrances to the 5,000 mines which riddle the mountain, in a tiny adobe shack. He worked long hours as an assistant, carrying the loose rock and helping the other miners hammer into the mineral veins in search of precious metals. The dust inside the mines causes miners to develop silicosis in the lungs and their average lifespan is only 35. Basillo worried about this and his little brother, who also worked alongside him. They were scared that they would die in the mines, accidents happened everyday. There were collapses in the tunnels and often fatalities due to problems with the dynamite explosions they used for revealing the minerals. A startling statistic of 8 million fatalities on the Cerro Rico mountain alone since it was first mined, shows the extent of the dangerous conditions the miners face on a day to day basis.
An odd, but understandable tradition of blessing a devil god in the mines is still practised today. This devil icon was introduced by the Spanish when they enslaved the indigenous population into working for them in the mines. They saw that the people were frightened of dying underground, where god doesn’t seem to exist, and introduced a devil figure to ‘protect’ the miners from harm.
Every miner, including Basillo and his brother, bring gifts of coca leaves, alcohol and cigarettes to the Tio (the devil god as it’s called) in order that he will look after them in the mine and not let any harm come to them. Although the boys are too scared to look right in the Tio’s face, they are comforted by the belief he will protect them.
Basillo and his brother used what little money they brought into the household to buy food and save for the coming year’s school uniforms. Their mother believed education was the key for them to leave working in the mine and achieve better things for themselves. Basillo had dreams of becoming a teacher and his brother a civil engineer. They attended school in Potosi in the mornings before starting their shifts at the mine in the afternoon. At the age of 14, Basillo is recorded to have said he wishes to only work five more months in the mine before seeking better paid employment in the town, where the lifestyle is healthier for him and his family.