Perched high in the Andes, the city of Potosí has spent its tempestuous history in the shadow of the Cerro Rico--a mountain so abundant in precious metals that it was said to be made entirely of silver. In the sixteenth century, the mines of Potosí bankrolled the Spanish empire, the mountain was given the epithet "the rich mountain," and the city grew to be larger than modern-day London. But today, Potosí is a shell of its former self. Its inhabitants are among the poorest in South America, and the mountain itself has been so extensively plundered that its summit is at risk of collapsing completely. So many people have working died in the mines that the Cerro Rico is no longer "the rich mountain," but "the mountain that eats men."
In this unique blend of travel writing and memoir, Ander Izagirre tells the story of the mountain and those who live in its shadow. At the center of his reporting is Alicia, a twelve-year-old girl struggling to support her family by working in the mines. Through Alicia we are introduced to the long chain of workers and owners who eventually connect back to US interests: the miners who risk their lives every day, the bosses and politicians who keep locals in a cycle of indentured poverty, and multinational corporations who are racing to strip the mountain of its resources before it collapses.
The Mountain that Eats Menis a reminder that metals that move our daily lives often come at an extravagant environmental and human price. But it is also a captivating, moving tale of harrowing bravery and wistful beauty.
