Potosí, Colonial ruins in Táchira, Venezuela.
Potosí is a ruined settlement in Táchira consisting of scattered stone structures and house foundations from a former mountain community. A church facade rises above the rubble and marks the flooded landscape with its weathered walls and standing architectural elements.
The town was submerged in 1985 when the Venezuelan government built a hydroelectric dam on the Uribante Reservoir to generate power. The church structure survived attempts to demolish it and remained partially visible above the water line.
This site was once a mountain village where a community lived before flooding changed everything. When water levels drop, former residents return to walk through what remains and recall their shared past.
Access to the site depends on water levels in the reservoir, which drop most reliably during dry seasons and El Niño patterns. Check local conditions before visiting to determine whether the ruins are accessible by foot or water.
Demolition crews attempted to destroy the church before flooding but the stone structure was too strong and survived the effort. Now it stands alone in the water as a quiet monument to what once existed beneath the surface.
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