12 August 2010 | News | Extractive industries
Again
The disastrous consequences of “development”: A mine threatens the lives of 33 Chilean workers
Download: MP3 (1.8 Mb)
Mining in Latin America would grow rapidly in the next ten years. Chile alone could receive from 50 to 60 million dollars in investments for the sector, which would mean the highest investment flow in the history of the country.
Meanwhile, a week after the collapse of a mine in Chile, 33 workers continue trapped inside. Chances to find them alive are scarce.
In Peru and Brazil, mining investments would reach 30 million dollars, and Argentina, Colombia and Mexico would also receive large sums of funds in the next decade, according to the Copper and Mining Centre of Studies, an organization based in Santiago, capital city of Chile. Juan Carlos Guajardo, Executive Director at the organization, said that Latin America is one of the most attractive regions in the world in terms of mining exploitation.
Guajardo said that in Chile, Colombia and Argentina, the funding will mainly come from foreign countries, while in Brazil and Peru, local investors would play a larger role.
On August 5th, San Jose mine, owned by San Estaban Company, located near Copiapo in the Atacama region, 800 km to the North of Santiago, collapsed. 33 workers were trapped and it is estimated that they are 700 meters underground. Possibilities to find them alive are very low.
San Esteban´s authorities found out about the collapse several hours after it happened, early in the afternoon, and the relatives of the workers denounced that the rescue teams arrived at night.
The media reported on the outrage of the people waiting for their loved ones to be rescued, especially after they found out that San Esteban had already been denounced for their low levels of security, including in San Jose mine.
In 2007, workers of the company together with unions from other companies filed a complaint to the Court of Appeals and the Mining and Geology National Service for the death of three workers in San Jose and San Antonio deposits. Back then, the workers and the unions requested the closure of San Jose mine.
Javier Castillo, secretary of the union of San Esteban Company, said that the San Jose mine didn´t have proper ways of escape and ventilation, and that the authorities knew about this situation. “The hill where San Esteban´s mine is located has been creaking for two months and we have been raising this high-risk situation since 2003”, said Castillo, according to Chilean newspaper La Nación.
