People/politician

Victor Paz Estenssoro

Victor Paz Estenssoro (1907–2001), politician, from Bolivia. Linked to tin.

The lucky break

His 1951 election win was annulled by the military, and miners and urban workers rose up in April 1952 and brought him back from exile.1,2,3,4

The downfall

Removed in a coup by Rene Barrientos in 1964. Wikidata gives two different death dates, 7 June and 7 July 2001.1,2,3,4

Legacy

On 31 October 1952 his government decreed the nationalisation of the properties of Aramayo, Hochschild and Patino. COMIBOL was set up in 1952 to run about 163 mines. In 1985 his economic policy cut 23,000 mining jobs.1,2,3,4

Story cards

Timeline

  1. 31 October 1952Bolivia nationalises the tin mines5
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Where next

People

Rival ofSimon Iturri PatinoHe nationalised the empire of Bolivia's Tin King.1Partner ofJuan Lechin OquendoMiners brought him back from exile in April 1952.2Rival ofMauricio (Moritz) HochschildThe 1952 decree took Hochschild's mines too.1Rival ofCarlos Victor AramayoThe 1952 decree took Aramayo's mines too.1

Events

LedBolivia nationalises the tin minesHis government took the Patino, Hochschild and Aramayo mines.1,2

Sources

  1. Foreign Relations of the United States 1952-1954, vol. IV, document 145 US Department of State, Office of the Historian
  2. Paz Estenssoro, Victor Encyclopedia.com (reprinting a publisher's reference work)
  3. COMIBOL Encyclopedia.com (reprinting a publisher's reference work)
  4. Wikidata item Q312055
  5. Bolivia: the Bolivian National Revolution, 1952-64 US Library of Congress Federal Research Division (via countrystudies.us)

Pictures on this page: 1922-06-06, El Liberal, Simón I. Patiño (cropped).jpg, Ángel de la Fuente (Public domain); 1026470 F82658.png, Irene Bran (Public domain); Carlos Víctor Aramayo - 2.jpg, Unknown author (Public domain).

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

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Pictures: Chiquicamata Mine, Chile, NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (Public domain (NASA media, no copyright)); Salar de Atacama, Chile, NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (Public domain (NASA media, no copyright)); Kopermijn te Kolwezi in de provincie Shaba (Katanka), Mieremet, Rob / Anefo / Europeana (Public Domain Mark 1.0).