Los Yungas (historical region)

Los Yungas is a historical region whose territory included three current provinces of the La Paz Department of Bolivia: Nor Yungas, Sud Yungas and Caranavi. Its importance stands out mainly for the cultivation of coca leaves and for the settlement of the Afro-Bolivian culture.[1]

Not to be confused with the bioregion Yungas.

History

Colonial Period

After the discovery of the silver mines in Cerro Rico of Potosí, the consumption of coca leaves increased, due to the invigorating effects that the indigenous people obtained from the coca leaves in their daily work.

Parallel to this event, the Spanish began acquiring slaves from Africa to work in the silver mines.

Los Yungas became the most important sector for the production of coca leaves and was the main supplier of this product in the colonial mining centers. The production and commercialization of coca leaves was an important source of obtaining economic resources during the colony, only surpassed by the extraction of silver.[2]

As coca cultivation was an important sector of the economy of the Spanish Empire in America, Los Yungas began to be regulated by the Spanish government. For its geographical administration, it was officially called "Partido de los Yungas" dependent on the jurisdiction of the Audiencia de Charcas.[3]

The slaves from Africa could not adapt to the climatic conditions in the silver mines and they began to die in subhuman conditions, generating an economic loss for the Spanish. For this reason, the African slaves were resold to the Los Yungas haciendas to work in the cultivation of coca.[4]

Other secondary crops introduced by the Spanish in Los Yungas were the cultivation of coffee and citrus.

Republican period

After the Spanish American wars of independence, Bolivia became independent from the Spanish Empire and the "Partido de los Yungas" was officially renamed "Los Yungas Province", dependent on the La Paz Department

In 1900, during the presidency of José Manuel Pando, Los Yungas Province was divided in two, giving rise to the creation of two new provinces: Nor Yungas Province and Sud Yungas Province.

In 1992 the Caranavi Province was created from a part of what was then the province of Nor Yungas.

References
  1. Rocabado, Aldo. "Mosaicos Históricos de los Yungas de La Paz" (in Spanish).
  2. "La coca en la historia de Bolivia" (in Spanish).
  3. "Pacificación y población de los indios Bopis Archivo General de Indias" (in Spanish).
  4. Busqué, Jordi. "Los afrobolivianos: así es la vida en uno de los últimos reinos de América" (in Spanish). BBC News.

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