How Copper started the legend of Che Guevara
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How Copper Sparked the Legend of Che Guevara
Overview
Copper mining in Chile began to take off in 1915, coinciding with the collapse of the saltpeter market?"Chile's traditional export?"due to breakthroughs in artificial nitrates by German scientists. This shift cemented copper's crucial role in Chile's economy, driving thousands of indigenous workers from struggling haciendas to American-owned mines like Chuquicamata, El Salvador, and El Teniente. This would hold until Chile nationalized its copper industry in the late 1960s.
Che's Visit to Chuquicamata
In 1952, Ernesto "Che" Guevara visited the region around the Chuquicamata mine, where local legend casts him as a brawling adventurer with a reputation for fleeting romances. While some speculate that a different path?"like traveling to Easter Island?"could have changed history, Che's experience in Chuquicamata left an indelible mark that influenced his revolutionary ideals.
Initially, Che was struck by the poor conditions of the mine workers as he journeyed north from Valparaiso with his travel mate, Alberto Granado. Chuquicamata laid bare the harsh realities of the copper industry and the critical role of cheap labor in meeting global demand.
The Lessons of Copper
A foreman at Chuquicamata revealed to Che the post-war importance of copper in North American and European industrialization, contrasting this with an American prospector's barroom obsession with Andean gold and silver. The message resonated with Che: despite the obvious wealth in minerals, the key was minimizing production costs and letting the rest of the world worry about demand fluctuations.
The broader implications of copper mining stayed with Che throughout his life. In various global contexts?"from Guatemala’s United Fruit Company to the rich mineral reserves in Congo and Bolivia’s tin industry?"Che observed how foreign interests profited at local expense, often undermining societal structures in the process.
The Ongoing Influence
Though Che never returned to Chuquicamata, the experience continued to shape his worldview, highlighting the weight of foreign influence over Chile’s copper-rich economy. Regardless of copper prices, the surrounding communities continued to struggle with poverty and disease. Che used such observations to warn Latin American nations about the dangers of foreign control exacerbating poverty.
The Push for Change
A senior Chilean mining official once noted, “This continent is full of Chuquicamatas,” lamenting the need for urgent reform to mining laws. Such sentiment resonated during Salvador Allende’s presidency, which initiated the nationalization of copper mines in 1971. Although Allende was later overthrown in a military coup in 1973, his reforms were not reversed, and the aspirations for worker rights continued.
Conclusion
Che Guevara's journey through the copper mines of Chile played a crucial role in shaping his revolutionary ethos, highlighting the broader struggle against economic imperialism in Latin America. His observations and warnings resonate even today, reflecting long-standing challenges and ongoing debates over resource control and social justice.
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