Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera and thousands of cheering Chileans honoured the 33 miners who were finally rescued after 69 unimaginable days trapped underground. The last one was brought to the surface on October 13th, and the celebration in their honour was held at the Presidential Palace on Monday, with all of the miners in attendance.
The miners, who exhibited a level of courage and resilience during their ordeal that merits the worldwide admiration they have received, are now collectively known as ‘Los 33’. Each one was given a medal commemorating Chile’s independence bicentennial, which occurred while they were still 625 metres underground.
After the reception at the palace, President Pinera, who is a big soccer fan, led a team of his cabinet members in a friendly game with the miners, whose leader was 53-year-old Franklin Lobos, who played for the national team in the 1980’s. The miners lost 3-2, but the cheering never stopped.