Technically, New Christians rather than Sephardic Jews of Bolivia.
Bolivia was the site of the Potosi silver mine, one of the Spanish empire’s main sources of revenue. There were entire industries built around mining and processing the silver (which required mercury from the Santa Barbara mine in Huancavelica, Peru), transportation, the provision of labour, food, clothes etc.
Portuguese New Christians in Bolivia
Juan Vicente, a cobbler born in Campo Maior, on the Portuguese border with Spain, was arrested by the Lima tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition in 1601, and later reconciled on the accusation of judaizing.
In 1607 the Portuguese Inquisition arrested the 53 year old Francisco Álvares, resident in Potosi (‘Potozim’), in Peru, but born in Castelo de Vide on the border with Spain. He was the son of Grácia de Luna. Campo Maior and Castelo de Vide are about 60km apart.
In the 19th century both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews immigrated to Bolivia. Many of these families later emigrated, including to Israel, the United States and Argentina. The modern Jewish community in Bolivia is relatively small, with most Jews living in larger cities like La Paz and Santa Cruz. The Circulo Israelita de Bolivia synagogue in La Paz, Bolivia, is the highest in the world.