Nature 6

And so they say we came to this earth to destroy the world. They say the winds ravage the houses and cut the trees and the fire scorches them. But we would devour everything, we would use up the earth, divert the rivers, we would never be quiet, would never rest, but always rush from here to there, looking for gold and silver, and then we would gamble with them, wage war, kill each other, rob each other, curse, never tell the truth, and we would have robbed them of their livelihood.

Silvia Federici (2014): Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation. New York: Automedia.p. 219.

Girolamo Benzoni (1519 - ca. 1572) was an Italian conquistador and trader. He joined the Spanish colonisation of the Americas in 1542. His History of the New World, from which the quote is taken, contains many autobiographical features. He is regarded as the narrator of the famous story about Columbus’ Egg.

From 1492 to 1550, an estimated 90-95% of the 80-100 million inhabitants of Latin America died because of colonisation by Spain and Portugal (with the participation of other European powers including the Germans). The silver shipped from Latin America to Spain between 1500 and 1650 represented three times the total European reserves. Amongst other things, this capital allowed for the establishment of manufacturing and industries in Europe. Gold and silver mining involved massive environmental destruction and was based on forced labour that claimed many lives.

*Silvia Federici (2014): Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation. New York: Automedia. p. 219ff.

1565