Fourteen Chilean miners to receive lifetime pensions

Fourteen of the 33 Chilean miners who survived more than three months underground after a mine collapse will receive lifetime pensions.

Presented by Chile’s first Lady Cecilia Morel on Tuesday, the ceremony took place in Copiano near the mine collapse site. She presented the first monthly pensions of 250,000 Chilean pesos ($540) to the men.

“This government is committed to be with you and help you as much as we can,” Morel said at the ceremony. The Chilean government fulfilled its goal of compensating more than 200 employees of the San Jose mine before the tragedy’s first anniversary.

The 14 recipients of the lifetime benefits however were chosen based on debilitating health, an age greater than 50 and perspective of the remaining survivors.

Several workers are still unemployed, or self-employed as fruit stand vendors and taxi drivers. According to CNN, the most successful ones have become public speakers, but the economic benefits are likely to diminish over time.

Survivor Jorge Galleguillos travelled to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC this August to open a mine collapse and rescue exhibit. Though seemingly well-off, Galleguillos reported that internationally he is respected as a hero, but in Chile he is greeted with little affection.

Many survivors are still heavily medicated and psychologically damaged, as detailed in Jonathan Franklin’s book 33 Men about the incident. After extensive interviews with the survivors, Franklin said to CNN, “I think they really needed better psychological counseling … but when they’re together they’re a band of brothers.”

Perhaps the 14 recipients of the lifetime pensions will overcome the financial and psychological misfortunes caused by their 69 day entrapment underground. The remaining 19 survivors can still be eligible for benefits in future evaluations.