Siglo XX
Encyclopedia
Siglo XX is a tin
mine
in Bolivia
. It is located in the city of Llallagua
in the province of Bustillos, Potosí Department
. Along with the Catavi
mine, it is part of a mining complex in the area.
It was acquired in the 1910s by Simón Iturri Patiño
, who was dubbed the "King of Tin." It was the site of continual labor strife, and many of its workers were active in the Union Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers
(FSTMB).
The mine was nationalized
following the "Bolivian National Revolution" of 1952, when the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement
(MNR) and its allies overthrew the military junta
. Siglo XX and other mines were placed under the control of a new state agency, the Corporación Minera de Bolivia (COMIBOL). The Catavi-Siglo XX complex became the largest component of COMIBOL.
On June 24, 1967, government troops under the orders of General René Barrientos
and a new military junta marched on the mine and committed the largest massacre of workers in Bolivian history.
In 1987, as part of an economic restructuring deal with the IMF
and World Bank
, the government shut down production at Siglo XX. Currently mining operations are undertaken by members of several large cooperatives who work independently or in small groups.
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. It is located in the city of Llallagua
Llallagua
Llallagua is a town in the Potosí Department in Bolivia. It is the seat of the Llallagua Municipality, the third municipal section of the Rafael Bustillo Province.- External links :*-References:*...
in the province of Bustillos, Potosí Department
Potosí Department
Potosí Department is a department in southwestern Bolivia. It comprises 118,218 km² with 709,013 inhabitants . The capital is the city of Potosí....
. Along with the Catavi
Catavi
Catavi is a tin mine in Bolivia, near the city of Llallagua in the province of Bustillos, Potosí Department. Along with the Siglo XX mine, it is part of a mining complex in the area.-History:...
mine, it is part of a mining complex in the area.
It was acquired in the 1910s by Simón Iturri Patiño
Simón Iturri Patiño
Don Simón Iturri Patiño was a Bolivian industrialist who was among the world's wealthiest men at the time of his death. With a fortune built from ownership of a majority of the tin industry in Bolivia, Patiño was nicknamed "The Andean Rockefeller"...
, who was dubbed the "King of Tin." It was the site of continual labor strife, and many of its workers were active in the Union Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers
Federación Sindical de Trabajadores Mineros de Bolivia
The Union Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers is a labor union in Bolivia that represents miners. Bolivia's miners are commonly regarded as the country's most class-conscious workers. The FSTMB has played an important role in Bolivia's recent history....
(FSTMB).
The mine was nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
following the "Bolivian National Revolution" of 1952, when the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement
Revolutionary Nationalist Movement
The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement is a Bolivian political party, perhaps the most important in the country during the 20th century. At the legislative elections in 2002, the party won, in an alliance with the Free Bolivia Movement, 26.9% of the popular vote and 36 out of 130 seats in the...
(MNR) and its allies overthrew the military junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
. Siglo XX and other mines were placed under the control of a new state agency, the Corporación Minera de Bolivia (COMIBOL). The Catavi-Siglo XX complex became the largest component of COMIBOL.
On June 24, 1967, government troops under the orders of General René Barrientos
René Barrientos
René Barrientos Ortuño was a Bolivian politician who served as his country's Vice President in 1964 and as its President from 1964 to 1969....
and a new military junta marched on the mine and committed the largest massacre of workers in Bolivian history.
In 1987, as part of an economic restructuring deal with the IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and World Bank
World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
, the government shut down production at Siglo XX. Currently mining operations are undertaken by members of several large cooperatives who work independently or in small groups.
Sources
- Jordán Pozo, Rolando: Minería. Siglo XX: la era del estaño; in: Campero Prudencio, Fernando: Bolivia en el siglo XX. La formación de la Bolivia Contemporánea, La Paz: Harvard club de Bolivia 1999, S. 219-239