A year on, Chile’s ‘33’ still largely unemployed

ONE of the myths surrounding the 33 miners who were so dramatically rescued after being trapped for 69 days deep inside a Chilean copper mine is that they’re all millionaires and no longer need to work.

The truth: nearly half the men have been unemployed since their mine collapsed one year ago today, and just one, the flamboyant Mario Sepulveda, has managed to live well off the fame. Most have signed up to give motivational speeches. Four, so far, have gone back underground to pound rock for a living.

“Los 33” have filed negligence lawsuits demanding $10 million (€7m) from the bankrupt mine’s owners and $17m from the government for failing to enforce safety regulations, but years remain before any payout.

Despite rumours that miners got rich off media interviews, most got only paid trips, hotel stays and the kinds of gifts that don’t put food on the table.

Neither did they profit from the books written about them so far. Only recently did they finally reach a deal with a Hollywood agent for an authorised book and movie, but they have yet to see any money from that.

A year after they were buried alive by a mine collapse a half-mile below the surface, the remarkable unity that many credited with helping them survive has fallen victim to misunderstandings over fame and money. Only some plan to join Chile’s president, Sebastian Pinera, in Copiapo and at the San Jose Mine today for an anniversary mass and museum inauguration. Sepulveda is among those who want no part of the ceremonies.

All have been hoping that Pinera will announce lifelong pensions of about $430 a month for the 33.

The government seems willing to pay, but the exact amount has been under negotiation for some time now, several miners said.

Many have gotten by until now on the philanthropy of an eccentric millionaire and Chilean mine owner, Leonardo Farkas, who wrote them cheques for 5 million pesos (about €8,000), threw them a lavish party and gave each of them a motorcycle. Farkas then doubled the amount for a miner whose baby was born while he was trapped down below, and another who skipped his baby’s birth to attend the party.

Shift foreman Luis Urzua, who kept the men unified when hope was fading, said he’s saddened by critics of the miners’ lawsuits, who say they should simply be grateful they were rescued.

“We’re very content, very grateful to the government and the president for what they did. We filed this lawsuit so that people understand that everyone has the right to sue when things aren’t being done correctly,” Urzua said.

Many Chileans don’t distinguish between government agencies and the administration of Pinera, which spent as much as $20m on the rescue.