Follow-Up

Chilean Miners Live in Poverty

Many returned to mining and are suing the government.

Where are the Chilean miners now? A year after their dramatic rescue, many are back in the mines, living in poverty, and suing the government. Six or so have managed to capitalize on their ordeal by making money as public speakers, but most remain traumatized and heavily medicated, says one of the rescue doctors, and many have had to return to mining. They're hoping for settlements from two lawsuits—one, for $541,000 each, against the government for allowing the notoriously dangerous mine to remain open, and another against the mine owners. There's also a chance they'll eventually make some money from a movie scheduled to begin filming in 2012.