The Role of Peasants in the Economic Development of the South-Central Andes

Until the construction of the railroads, peasants in the Andes played many essential roles in the economic development of the south-central Andes, defined as the region between Oruro in the north, Tucuman in the south, the Pacific Coast in the west, and the Chaco in the east.  This paper evaluates the role of the peasants in the transportation network, as workers in mines and agriculture, as purveyors of foodstuffs and other inputs for mines and urban centers, as well as their role in credit networks.  The paper will show that there was an essentially different and dynamic economy that developed in this region before the liberal policies of the creole elites impoverished the peasants in the late nineteenth century.