33 miners

“We are fine in the shelter, the 33 of us”

33 miners have survived for 17 days more than 680 meters underground. That message, so simple, tied to the end of a probe, has been one of the most joyful pieces of news I have ever witnessed, as far as I can remember.

Good for the viejos, the “old men”, as miners are known here. I was born in mining country; my old man, though he wasn’t a miner, sometimes had to go into the mine at Chuqui too. I’m thinking of him right now, and of so many other “viejos” I have known.

It is moving, it gives hope, a beautiful and unforgettable moment.