A Happy Ending (And a Convenient Corporate Excuse)
With an ovation that probably sounded better than any extra pay, the 23 workers were received on the surface who, against all odds (or at least, against the usual forecast in these struggles), emerged alive from the bowels of the earth. The setting: an underground gold mine in northwest Colombia that decided to take a structural break, collapsing with the elegance of a house of cards.
The miners, involuntary protagonists of this suspense novel of 43 hourly chapters, were evacuated after a confinement that surely made them reconsider many of their work decisions. The site of the geological crime: the La Reliquia mine, in Segovia, Antioquia. A name, “The Relic”, that now sounds less like a historical treasure and more like a sinister warning about the state of its supports.
The National Mining Agency, in a burst of technical sincerity, reported that the main access collapsed due to a “geomechanical failure“. Wow, what did we think? That it had been a fit of mountain laughter? Of course, this neat, scientific term carefully avoids more mundane words like “negligence,” “deferred maintenance,” or “bad mining karma luck.”
The Parade of Heroes (Tired and Hungry)
The authorities, always eager for good audiovisual material, released a video that shows the first evacuated miners coming to the surface. The scene: walking under his own power, clinging to a rope as if it were a lifeline in a pit of despair. They climbed the steep entrance to the sinkhole with the determination of someone who had just lost a bet with gravity. Regarding his state of health, stony silence. Were they okay? Just tired? Or maybe mentally calculating the amount of labor demand? The mystery continues.
Meanwhile, outside, the relatives of the workers offered a much more human spectacle: waiting for hours, holding their breath and celebrating through tears the survival of their loved ones. A rollercoaster of emotions that, without a doubt, is worth more than any group therapy session paid for by the company.
Here comes everyone’s favorite plot twist: ownership. The sinkhole in question is within a property assigned to the Canadian company Aris Mining. But surprise! The actual operation is run by a local mining cooperative. A classic scheme of “the brand gives the name and the responsibility fades away.” Who do you complain to if something goes wrong? To the absent Canadian or to the neighbor who operates the shovel? A first-class philosophical-mining dilemma.
And then, the National Mining Agency releases the rhetorical pearl of the year: “This result reaffirms that formal mining has prevention plans, trained brigades, monitoring of underground conditions and immediate attention protocols that prioritize life“. Take it now! In other words, the fact that 23 people did not die is irrefutable proof that the system works. By that rule of three, if I fall from the tenth floor and survive, it is because the building codes are excellent, not because I have had absurdly miraculous luck. Logic, like the mine, also has its flaws.
The company, in a previous statement that exuded corporate tranquility, claimed to have supplied the trapped workers with water, food and ventilation. What a detail, right? The least you can expect when you find yourself in a potential grave. It’s like your kidnapper gives you cookies and then expects a thank you. The mine, we are told, has about 60 employees in total and contributes a “small portion” to the company’s total gold in the area. Small portion, small scare, right?
The Awkward Reminder in the Junk Room
But not everything is joy and songs in the world of Colombian mining. The original text, with its bit of informative morbidity, cannot help but drop a reminder at the end: mining accidents in Colombia are a daily occurrence, especially in small-scale coal and gold mines. The main causes: geomechanical failures (them again), contaminated atmosphere and explosions. A trio of occupational risks that would make anyone reconsider their vocation.
And, as if to lower the bells of the success of this rescue to harsh reality, the note refreshes our memory: just the previous weekend, seven workers who had been trapped for nine days in an illegal gold mine in Cauca were found dead. Nine days. A silent and terrible reminder that, for every happy ending that is celebrated with applause, there are others that end in silence. A contrast that, without the need for sarcasm, makes your hair stand on end and questions all the self-indulgent paraphernalia.
So, in summary, 23 lives saved is wonderful news. A genuine reason for relief and celebration. But perhaps, instead of puffing out the protocols that “worked” after the fact, the push should be to make sure the mines don’t collapse in the first place. But of course, that is already asking for pears from the elm, or rather, absolute security from an industry that extracts wealth from the very bowels of risk.
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