Operations are underway in Chile to begin bringing the first of 33 miners trapped since August 5th more than two thousand feet underground to the surface this evening.   The 33 men were trapped while gathered in a chamber far beneath the surface eating lunch when a portion of the mine collapsed.  The timing of the collapse was very fortuitous.  Had they not all been gathered there some would undoubtedly have been killed of badly injured. 

The President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera, plans to be on hand for the rescue as well as the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales.  One of the men trapped in the copper and gold mine is Bolivian Carlos Mamani.  President Morales said that a new job is waiting for Mamani.

The dramatic and terrifying events have had the world's attention for 67 days now.  You can watch the proceeding live here:

                                         *UPDATE*

Chile cantador (singer) Victor Jara performing Pablo Neruda's Poema 15, a beautiful expression that seems remarkably appropriate right now.  Both Jara and Neruda were Communists, and in fact Jara was arrested after the coup led by Pinochet overthrowing Allende, imprisoned, brutally tortured and shot to death, but at this moment politics are unimportant and this song is perfect for the moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIhHTGYkkHU

Here is the full text of the poem sung by Jara, with the last verse translated into English.  That is the verse that makes this so perfect for the occaision.

Poema 15

Me gustas cuando callas porque estás como ausente,
y me oyes desde lejos, y mi voz no te toca.
Parece que los ojos se te hubieran volado
y parece que un beso te cerrara la boca.

Como todas las cosas están llenas de mi alma
emerges de las cosas, llena del alma mía.
Mariposa de sueño, te pareces a mi alma,
y te pareces a la palabra melancolía;

Me gustas cuando callas y estás como distante.
Y estás como quejándote, mariposa en arrullo.
Y me oyes desde lejos, y mi voz no te alcanza:
déjame que me calle con el silencio tuyo.

Déjame que te hable también con tu silencio
claro como una lámpara, simple como un anillo.
Eres como la noche, callada y constelada.
Tu silencio es de estrella, tan lejano y sencillo.

Me gustas cuando callas porque estás como ausente.
Distante y dolorosa como si hubieras muerto.
Una palabra entonces, una sonrisa bastan.
Y estoy alegre, alegre de que no sea cierto.

Pablo Neruda

And the last verse, translated by author Terence Clarke:

It pleases me when you grow silent, as though you were absent.
Distant and dolorous as though you were dead.
One word then, one smile is enough.
And I am happy, happy that that is not so.

You can access the full translated poem here:

http://www.redroom.com/blog/terence-clarke/pablo-nerudas-twenty-poems-love-and-one-desperate-song-poem-15-a-translation

Terence Clarke is a San Francisco author whose latest book is titled A Kiss For Señor Guevara.  You can access his blog and learn about his other works here:

http://www.redroom.com/author/terence-clarke/

I tried to contact him through his blog there by clicking on "Contact this author" in order to obtain permission to paste his translation of this poem here, as it is the best I've found, but it informed me that I don't have authorization to access the page enabling me to do so.  So I decided to just put the last verse from his translation here which is the one that makes the poem so appropriatet for the occaision, expecially the last lines.

                                               *FINAL UPDATE*

All 33 miners have been brought up as well as the last of the three rescue workers who had descended to tend to the men and prepare them for the ascent.  The rescue workers have sounded their last "Chi! Chi Chi! Le! Le! Le!" cheer for their country and safety, and President Sebastian Piñera has spoken for the last time there at the shaft site.  And one of the most remarkable rescue operations in history has come to an end.  It's done.

11:46 PM EDT, 10/13/2010