Silver lining for Potosi: Bolivia awakens from its tragic past

A vast silver mine was discovered in 1545 in Potosi, whipping local Spanish colonists into a frenzy. It was estimated that at its peak, the silver production contributed approximately half of the world's total output.

In just a few decades, Potosi, once "nothing but barren mountains and llamas," expanded into a bustling city with over 100,000 inhabitants, comparable in scale to London and Paris of the same period...