Families of miners trapped in Mexico reject new strategy

(CNN Spanish) — The families of the 10 miners trapped since early August at the El Pinabete mine in Coahuila, Mexico, have rejected a new rescue strategy proposed by the government to save the miners, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Friday.

López Obrador stated that the families rejected the new strategy because of the time it would take.

“The experts decided that the other option was to dig the ground to enter the mine. Anything beyond that takes more time. Before making that decision, I instructed them to inform the families, and they, as you say, did not agree. It’s not that they don’t want their relatives to be rescued, it seems like a long time to them,” he said.

When asked in his daily briefing if compensation was offered to the families, López Obrador did not deny it, but argued that it is politicking, “now the most important thing is the rescue. Of course there is compensation, but that is not point”.

“We are looking for the best option. And the instruction is that we don’t give up.” López Obrador added that efforts to save the miners and compensation are on the table, without having to choose for one.