The Legacy of the Spanish Conquista in the Andes: Mining Mita, Social Unrest and Long-Run Economic Developmen
César Huaroto

Abstract:

This paper explores the mechanisms behind the long-term effects of the Mining Mita (a colonial labor-coercion institution in Peru), which forced Andean indigenous communities to work on mining during the period between 1573 and the early 19th century. We find that districts affected by this institution experience significantly more social unrest and violent conflict from the colonization period to the present. Using the case of a recent mining boom, we also find that Mita districts benefited less from the boom and experienced higher mining-related social unrest during this period. We present evidence suggesting that higher social unrest is correlated with the persistence of beliefs about identity and democracy. We document that Mita districts: i) are less knowledgeable about democracy; ii) are more likely to blame colonial rule as the cause of present economic (under) development; and iii) have higher self-identification with their local indigenous community (vis-à-vis the country as a whole).

Speaker:

Candidato a Doctor en Economía por la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Sus intereses de investigación son el desarrollo económico, la economía histórica y la microeconomía aplicada. Tiene experiencia como docente en PUC Chile, y en la PUCP. Previamente trabajó como investigador junior en IEP, GRADE y el Departamento de Economía de PUC Chile, en el sector público (MIDIS y MINEDU) y como consultor (JPAL, BID, entre otros).