Compañía Minera Huanchaca
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 | |
| Formerly | Sociedad Mineralógica de Huanchaca[1] |
|---|---|
| Industry | Silver |
| Genre | Mining |
| Founded | December 17, 1833 (precursor)[1] 1873 (modern company)[2] |
| Founder | Mariano Ramírez (1833) Aniceto Arce (1873) |
| Headquarters | Pulacayo, Bolivia |
Compañía Minera Huanchaca or Compañía Huanchaca de Bolivia was a silver mining company with operations in Pulacayo and Huanchaca near Uyuni in southwestern Bolivia. It was a Bolivian company, originally founded in 1833 but restructured in 1873 to incorporate British and Chilean capital. Since the 1850s the company was controlled by Aniceto Arce who became Bolivia's richest person. Despite Chilean involvement the company survived the War of the Pacific (1879–1883) unscattered. It has been variously argued that the company was used as political tool by Arce who eventually became president of Bolivia from 1888 to 1892. In the late 19th century Compañía Minera Huanchaca was the main contributor to the Bovian state's coffers and it played a major role in the construction of the Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia which connects Bolivia to the Pacific coast.
The company brought modern industrial proceeses to Bolivia aided by British engineers and machinery but relied also on traditional methods such as pallaqueo. Its establishment and growth is considered to have greatly disrupted indigenous society in southwestern Bolivia. At its height in the late 19th century it controlled the first or second most productive silver mining district in the world.