Chilean Miners Probably Getting Coal For Christmas

Story by Emily Wilson 

| Published Sep 7, 2010

While most of Chile was celebrating the discovery of the 33 miners recently trapped by a collapse, the higher ups of the state-owned mine located outside the city of Copiapo were busy constructing a seemingly lack-luster plan to evacuate the miners from the cramped collapsed tunnel.

Velia Ortega, wife of Miguel Ortega, a worker trapped in the access tunnel, has some concerns regarding the rescue mission taking place.

“At first they were supposed to be out in two weeks, then a two months and now they’ve pushed the the date back four months?”

However Martino Cervántez Palomo, CEO of Compania Minera San Esteban Primera, is quick to point out that the rescue mission is going as quickly as possible.

“Look, we’ve got a drill and a few extra workers on it, sure they might have to spend Christmas underground but we’ll make sure they have food and water and stuff. Hell,” Palomo added, “we’ll try and send some Christmas decorations down, make that collapsed access tunnel all festive”.

The miners have been trapped since Aug. 5 when an access tunnel collapsed. The men have been surviving off of meager rations of canned milk, tuna and cookies. Dehydration is a constant threat.

There has been a public outcry at the seemingly slow rescue efforts but the company press liaison Dédalo Llarnas Salinas maintains the company is working hard to get the miners home in time for the holidays.

“As soon we arrange a photo op outside our company’s headquarters we’re going right back to work digging those poor guys up - I guess you could say we’re a little buried too at the moment,” Salinas added, laughing nervously before mumbling something about a briefing and scurrying away.

Palomo insists that the deadline for the rescue mission should not be the public’s main focus.

“The important thing is our guys are safe,” said Palomo during a recent interview. “It makes me feel very proud to know that we take care of our workers and that they have no real legal ground on which to file a civil suit”.