The Devil of the Silver Mines

Danilo Anton

 The Devil has come. No doubt. Across America the news spread. The Devil with pale skin and iton clothes. Those who thought they were the good gods were wrong. Actually, they are devilish demons who worship metals that grow in the depths of the Earth. It is rumored that feed on silver and gold, shed their iron skin every year and do not know about love and tenderness. "

In the bowels of the Andean plateau, where the sunlight never reaches and the cooling breezes don't arrive, in the deep galleries where silver and tin are extracted Quechua and Aymara prepare their offerings for Uncle Devil and his wife, China Supay. Uncle prefer coca leaves, tobacco and chicha. China liked sugar canes..

The Devil and his wife control the world of metals where the money is found. So everyone knows: "Money is a thing of the Devil."

The money is not obtained through work, or love, or solidarity. It is achieved through a blood pact with the Devil: The k'araku. The k'araku is a golden contract that only is made for money. In that way the Spaniards who conquered this land obtained their wealth. So they could kill hundreds of thousands with impunity, and above it, get rich. Although Pizarro promised to respect the life of Atahualpa he did not hesitate to kill him. As a reward for this crime he inherited the riches of the Inca Empire. Drug traffickers, who negotiate with the suffering of others, make millions of dollars with cocaine. The miners have learned these truths in their own lives. They risk of dying in a cave or getting silicosis. Despite working hard and producing much mineral they don't get any riches.. Meanwhile, others who live far away and never worked in the mines live luxurious lives of millionaires. These inequalities can be explained only by magic and sacrifices to the Devil. In that way the gringos have money. Surely. There is no other logical explanation. These people have managed to get the favor of the Uncle and China Supay.

The Demon of the miners has horns like goats, blood-colored eyes, mule ears, two black fangs and daggers instead of teeth, they reflect the weak light of the galleries. Like European kings he has a crown on his head where with a poisonous snake. Altiplano people have learned their lesson. More than four centuries of oppression and suffering have taught them. The conquistadors did not bring God but the devil. And for this reason, they make their Diabladas every year. From Oruro to Potosi the ancient ´people of the mountains and plateaus never forget to present their their offerings and ceremonies to the Uncle and China..

Outside the mine, outdoors, in the land where the wind blows and rains and snow falls, there the spirit of Pachamama reigns, Mother Earth. With the help of the Virgin Mary and the Saints, the Pachamama allow plants to flourish, crops to mature and children are born, Pachamama is good. Pachamama has nothing to do with money. Pachamama is Amerrique.

From "Amerrique, the Orphans of Paradise", Danilo Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones