Rescued Chileans offered Jamaican vacation

(Jamaica Gleaner)  Tagging Jamaicans as “ingenious advanced thinkers”, Chilean Ambassador Alfredo García said Jamaica’s gesture to host the 33 miners who were trapped, their spouses, and rescue workers for a vacation here is fantastic.

“It’s what you would expect; Jamaicans are always ahead,” he told The Gleaner in response to an announcement made by the Ministries of Tourism and Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade that they had partnered with Sandals Resorts to offer all-inclusive vacations to the Chileans.

Ambassador García said the men who were trapped for 69 days remained in hospital in his country, but he had apprised his government of the offer.

Chile has had a long relationship with Jamaica; its embassy has been here for more than 20 years.

In a media release yesterday, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said he had the highest praises for the Chilean government, their international partners, and the rescue workers involved in bringing the miners to safety. “The rescue of the 33 trapped miners is an amazing survival story and a miracle which will long be remembered.”

Bartlett revealed that his ministry, along with related agencies, would be working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sandals Resorts to ensure the miners, rescue workers, and their spouses would be able to enjoy a stress-free Jamaican vacation after spending more than two months anxiously awaiting what happily resulted in a positive outcome.

For his part, chairman of Sandals Resorts, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, pointed out that this must be seen not only as an international event, “but also as a triumph of the human spirit”.

Stewart said, “It is fitting and appropriate that we in Jamaica extend a loving hand to our brothers and sisters in South America who endured such a demanding ordeal, yet emerged victorious despite all odds.”

In the meantime, a number of the island’s hoteliers have lauded the initiative.

“Sunset applauds the efforts being made to provide respite for the families that went through the traumatic ordeal. We ourselves are happy to offer similar accommodations, especially to the miner who expressed the desire to marry his long-time love,” said Ian Kerr, managing director of Sunset Resorts, Jamaica.

Esteban Rojas, who was trapped in the gold and copper mine, proposed to his common-law wife Jessica Ganiez while he was underground. A Today Show report said that he wrote the proposal on a scrap of paper, and it read: “When I get out, let’s buy the dress and we’ll get married.”

Another Jamaican hotelier, Grand Palladium’s general manager, Dimitris Kosvogiannis, said he felt the gesture was a great opportunity to enhance the relationship that exists between Jamaica and South America. “Such a gesture shows that Jamaicans understand the trauma that the Chileans have gone through.”