Coroico: History

Pre-20th-Century History

In the days of the Inca Empire, gold was discovered in the Tipuani and Mapiri valleys. Inspired by economic opportunity, the first settlers of the Yungas came under sporadic attack from other opportunists. Looking for a location from which to defend themselves, they arrived at the site of present-day Coroico early in the 18th century, establishing themselves at the springs of the Coriguayco (meaning 'golden corner' in Aymara) River. Soon after, the settlers were chased into a cave by a powerful lightning storm. The cave can still be seen on the main plaza of Coroico, just below the church.

The gold-crazed Spanish got in on the act around the mid-1700s and a few powerful families, the hacienderos , forced locals to work for them. As a result, the region became one of the continent's most prolific sources of gold.

Between the late 1700s and early 1800s, Coroico, which had a population of 500 at the time, survived a series of attacks from Indians. During the Bolivian War of Independence, 5000 Aymaras attacked the town. Despite the odds, the Aymaras were forced into retreat.

In 1899, Coroico became the capital of North Yungas, making it the political and industrial center of the region.

Modern History

In the mid-1950s, a revolution ensured that the powerful families of Coroico were overthrown. Agrarian reforms were subsequently implemented and land was divided up between the national government and the locals.

However, the rivers of the lower Yungas still endured ravaging by hoardes of wildcat prospectors and bigger mining outfits. A distressing side effect, which is still apparent, was water pollution from the mercury used to recover fine particles from gold-bearing sediment. Agriculture has also become an important part of the Yungas' development, and Coroico has developed as the market town for the region - the fertile farmland occupying the intermediate altitudes now reap sugar, citrus, bananas, tobacco and coffee, some of which is exported to the highlands.

Recent History

There's another important crop grown here: coca. The area around the village of Coripata, and extending south toward Chulumani, is prime coca-producing country. The sweet Yungas' coca is mostly consumed in Bolivia, while leaves from the Chapare region are turned into cocaine and 'exported'.

Yungas' coca - whose leaves are chewed by locals and revered as a mild stimulant and appetite suppressant - has been under fire over recent years. The US-pushed drug eradication war on coca growth has led to clashes with cocaleros (coca growers). However, the region's geography (one road in, one road out) means that raids are always anticipated. Since the election of Evo Morales, who has vowed to protect the growth of coca while fighting cocaine production and smuggling, things have been changing. Locals are hoping that a Morales government will enable them to harvest their crops in peace.

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