 Soroche, Rebellion and Capitalism
Chile’s recent history is linked to mining. In the northern regions of the country, mining expansion has brought about profound environmental transformations in the landscape and social changes in the indigenous communities that inhabit these regions. Through a series of vignettes, I explore the abandoned mining camps of Ollagüe, a Quechua community located in the highlands (puna) of northern Chile. The ruins of the sulphur industry provide an opportunity to explore the history of these socio-economic changes. I propose an exploration of volcanic vibrancy, volcanoes being understood here as cultural spaces of mining production, as natural spaces that bear witness to the changes and impacts of the sulphur industry, and as living entities whose rebellion against human domestication has shaped the sociability between them and the local community.