A12
EZ SU
KLMNO THE WORLD Pakistan faulted SCANT PROGRESS
President pressed to trimtop ranks
BY KARIN BRULLIARD
islamabad — On any given day, Pakistani officials cast blame for their government’s failings on a rabid press, a hostile judiciary or a conniving army. Whatever the reason for the
problems, one thing seems clear: It is not for lack of manpower at the top. Public ire is simmering these
days overwhat one news channel referred to as Pakistan’s “jumbo- size” cabinet: It is made up of 61 ministers and advisers, several among themmarginallyqualified or shadowed by graft allegations. Alarmed by the tanking econo-
MARIANA BAZO/REUTERS Rescued Chilean miner JoseHenriquez gives two thumbs up as he visits the San JoseMine after being trapped inside of it for 69 days. From risky jobs to jobs at risk
Government crackdown after mine collapse leaves other Chilean miners feeling out in the cold Still, 31 miners have died this
BY JUAN FORERO IN TIERRA AMARILLA, CHILE
logical signposts that can lead to the mother lode, tons of high- priced copper here in northern Chile. More than 260 feet down a
A
craggy, forbidding shaft that he himself punched into the Earth, Rivadeneira pointed a flashlight at a seam, a clue that made his eyes glitter. “I have to go 200 meters, and
I’ll get where I need to go,” he said, waving his hand toward a wall of rock he wanted to pulver- ize.
But these days, Rivadeneira
and many of his fellow miners here in the Atacama Desert are going nowhere. The collapse of the San Jose Mine, which trapped 33men for 69 days until their dramatic rescue Wednes- day, led to a government crack- down on an industry that pro- vides 40 percent of the state’s revenue and employs 170,000 people. New rules have closed dozens
ofmines or restricted operations until tunnels are shored up, escape shafts dug and ventila- tion improved. “This is all para- lyzed now,” said Rivadeneira, whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather all mined here. Themine collapse that riveted
the world ended in triumph for Chile, touching off wild celebra- tions thatwere nomore heartfelt
miner for 45 years, Fernan- do Rivadeneira has a knack for reading the geo-
than in gritty, blue-collar towns like Tierra Amarilla, where min- ersmake their homes. But the accident at San Jose
not only exposed a checkered safety record at the mine. It also highlighted the inherent perils of mining, no matter how devel- oped Chile has become, and the government’s questionable effort at oversight. President Sebastian Pinera’s
government fired top regulators, moved to overhaul safety regula- tions and boosted the budget for the mine safety bureau, which had only three inspectors to oversee hundreds ofmines in the mineral-rich Atacama. “The lesson of the San Jose
Mine will never be forgotten,” Pinera said Thursday, moments before hemetwith the 33miners at the regional hospital in Copi- apo, near themine.
Tough regulations Manyminers, and the associa-
tions that represent them, note thatmining accidents and fatali- ties have dropped off in Chile, which has some of the toughest regulations in the region. The rate of workplace deaths is high- er in transportation, agriculture and construction, according to a 2009 government report on workplace accidents. “We have a sixth of the acci-
dents and a fourth of the fatali- ties that we had in the ’70s and ’80s,” said Ivan Cerda, a director of the National Mining Society, which represents mine owners. “The fact that this accident hap- pened is nothing normal in Chile. It is really the exception.”
year, and government regulators acknowledge that only a tiny fraction ofmining operations are ever inspected. Here in the Atacama, there
are three inspectors for nearly 900 mines that the government knows about. But there are possi- bly hundreds more mines, many of themlittlemore than century- old shafts worked on the fly by wildcatters with picks, shovels and dynamite. “Gold — that is what we look
for,” said Ramon Gonzalez, who is 60 and has been mining since he was a child. “I use a spike and a hammer and then start look- ing.” The work is hard and dirty, he
said, but “when it is good, you make a lot ofmoney.” And by good, Gonzalez means
no more than 10 ounces of gold in a week. Rivadeneira’s operation, on
the other hand, is decidedly high-tech in comparison. He has a small earthmover, a winch for hoisting up copper, pneumatic drills and compressors. But it is a small business, until recently only himand eight otherminers. Then an inspection in Septem-
ber determined that he needed to reinforce tunnels, which means lining them with wooden timbers and industrial netting to capture falling rocks. He was soon down to threeminers. “They are right about it,” Ri-
vadeneira said. “But I cannot just go work at something else. I am 62—no one is going to giveme a job.”
‘You can’t work here’ Rivadeneira’smine, called San
Antonio, is like many others here. Carved into the mountainside
decades ago, it is a warren of caverns, some held up by wooden timbers put up years ago. Un- marked shafts fall into deep voids. The faint light from the surface reveals a fine dust in the air. “This causes the famous silico-
sis that miners have,” Rivadenei- ra saidmatter-of-factly. Leading a visitor into the old-
est part of the mine, he pointed his flashlight at slabs that he thought could fall. Indeed, back in 1962, the operator of the San Antoniomine was crushed when the roof caved in. A modest marker, a pile of rocks with a small wooden cross, is the only reminder. “All this has to be fortified. You
can’t work here,” Rivadeneira said. “It’s too fractured to keep going down. That’s what they toldme.” Thisminemay be old,much of
its copper long gone. But Rivade- neira said he needs to get a loan to shore up. The reason is plain to see: bright glints of green or blue in the rocks above, smooth copper. Behind could be more, perhaps tons of it. “Look at those rocks,” Rivade-
neira said, smiling. “There is a vein, going west. If you have a vein, you say, you have to go there.”
foreroj@washpost.com
Researcher Jenny Carolina Gonzalez in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.
DIGEST NORTHKOREA
Officials issue threat as U.S. holds firm North Korea’s state-run media
on Saturday threatened a “1,000- fold” military buildup as theUnit- ed States ruled out lifting sanc- tions to try to coax theNorth into resuming talks aimed at its nucle- ar weapons programs. Last year,NorthKorea quit the
nuclear disarmament talks and later tested an atomic device, drawing tightened U.N. sanc- tions. ButNorth Korea said Saturday
that it is willing to rejoin the negotiations and remains com- mitted to implementing a Sep- tember 2005 accord on abandon- ing its nuclear program in ex- change for aid and security guar- antees. It accused the United States and other participants of holding back the six-nation talks. North Korea “is ready for the resumption of the . . . talks but decided not to go hastily but to make ceaseless patient efforts now that the U.S. and some other participating countries are not ready for them,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said late Satur- day in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. The talks involve the twoKore- as, the United States, China, Ja-
pan and Russia. The statement came after
North Korea’s first vice foreign minister, Kim Kye Gwan, re- turned home from a five-day trip to China, theNorth’s key ally. Kim said after meeting with
Chinese nuclear envoyWu Dawei on Friday that his country would not return to the disarmament talks unless sanctions are lifted, according to South Korea’s Yon- hap news agency.
—Associated Press CHINA
Coal mine explosion kills 21, traps 16 China joined the world in air-
ing detailed coverage of the Chil- ean mine rescue last week, but when a gas blast killed 21 Chinese miners and trapped 16 others Saturday, thenationalTVevening newsdid not say a word. Rescuers said they were battling through tons of coal dust to reach the miners, who have been located but whose condition was un- known. Therescuers also faceddanger-
ous gas levels and the risk of falling rocks as they worked their way into the mine pit. The early-morning explosion
at a state-run mine in the central province of Henan occurred as workers were drilling a hole to
release pressure from a gas build- up to decrease the risk of explo- sions.
—Associated Press MIDDLEEAST
Palestinians to mull alternatives to talks The Palestinians will look at
alternatives to peace talks with Israel in the coming days, a top official with the Palestine Libera- tion Organization said Saturday, after Israel gave the green light to build 238 newhouses for Jews on land in East Jerusalem that Pales- tinians seek for their state. The Palestinians plan to study
their options in coming days, said Yasser Abed Rabbo, the secretary general of the PLO. “These politi- cal options include going to the U.N. and to the Security Council,” he said.
—Associated Press AKHTAR SOOMRO/REUTERS
U.S. businessman freed in Iran: Iran set free an American busi- nessman jailed in Tehran for more than twoyears on suspicion of ties to an allegedly violent opposition group. Reza Taghavi, 71, had not been charged with a crime and denied knowingly sup- porting the organization, known as Tondar.His attorney said from Tehran that Iranian officials are “comfortable that he was in fact
Avillager in south-central Pakistan leads his buffaloes through floodwaters while returning to his town ofKhairpurNathan Shah in the nation’s Sindh province on Saturday.
used by this organization, and comfortable that he does not pose a threat to them and that he can leave and go back to the United States.”
8 arrested in Mexico in immi- grant killings: TheMexican attor- ney general’s office said eight
people have been arrested in con- nection with the case of 72 immi- grants who were found dead in the northern part of the country in August. The eight people were arrested in separate operations.
Deadly attacks hit Kandahar City: A string of explosions killed
at least two civilians and wound- ed several others in Afghanistan’s main southern city of Kandahar, the scene of several recent deadly attacks on police. Helicopters pa- trolled above the city as NATO and Afghan troops were deployed to seal off the attack sites. —From news services
my andvast floodwreckage,Paki- stan’s powerful army chief and U.S. officials here have zeroed in on the cabinet’s weak perfor- mance and are pushing President AsifAliZardari for shake-ups and slim-downs, according to Paki- stani officials. Even insiders in Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party privately express frustration about government girth. Yetdespite regular reports that
a cabinet “reshuffle” is about to happen, few observers are hold- ing their breath. The cabinet size, political analysts say, reflects the deep-rooted nature both of the ruling party and of governing in Pakistan, a divided nation that often seems on the verge of tear- ing apart. The PPP is the only party in
Pakistanwithanationalpresence — if small in many places — but its government also depends on a fragile coalitionwith smaller par- ties. That means there are ruling party followers who want their regions represented in the cabi- net and coalition partners who demand their parties have slots, analysts say. In Pakistan, where being a
federal minister brings clout at the very local level, that trans- lates into votes for the govern- ment. Ministers hire friends and family, deliver services to their own villages and hand money to community leaders or landown- ers — then depend on them to round up voters at election time. “It’s good old party patronage,”
said one ruling party lawmaker who advocates a smaller cabinet. The system has also been
forged to foster stability, said Anatol Lieven, a Pakistan expert atKing’sCollege inLondon. If the government rewards its local-lev- el followers, those people keep themasses placated. But it does not quitematch the
ideas of the United States, which is investing in improving the two-year-old civilian govern- ment’s performance while also counting on its survival. “If they make such a mess of
government that the population becomes completely exasperated,
on cabinet’s size 61MEMBERS,
then they also fail,” Lieven said. “There youhave inanutshellwhy Pakistani politics and govern- ment have been so unstable: Be- cause the needs of patronage, which is essential, runs head-on into the needs of government, which is essential.” Even considering the country’s
population of 170 million, Paki- stan’s cabinet is bulky. The Unit- ed States, with a population of 310million, has 16 Cabinetmem- bers. Just fewer than40ministers sit in on cabinet meetings in Nigeria, which has a population of about 150million. To top it off, Pakistani newspa-
pers have reported recently, many cabinet members do not pay taxes, nor do they seem to make much progress. Nearly threemonths after the beginning of devastating floods, many vic- tims stillhaven’t receivedgovern- ment compensation. Lastmonth, the financeminister said govern- ment cofferswere running so low that the governmentmightnotbe able topay civil servants after two months. For what it’s worth, govern-
ment officials say they agree the cabinet is too big. They say they are planning to reduce the size in accordance with a constitutional amendment passed this year, which mandates a cabinet with nomore than 49members. One senior government official
said that the trim would happen within days, but he also said Zardari and Prime Minister YousafRazaGillani did “notwant to offend” those on the chopping block. Raza Rabbani, a ruling party senator who oversaw the drafting of the new amendment, said it might happen by next summer. “Such a drastic cutwould auto-
matically disbalance the coali- tion,” Rabbani said. Less than three years after the end of a military dictatorship, he added, inculcating democracy should be more important than cutting poor performers. But those party members said
Zardari, who is known for stub- bornness, is resisting changes.He has surrounded himself with a coterie of loyalists, they said, some of whom are considered to rank among the least effective government officials. Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Ki-
yani, meanwhile, met with Zard- ari and Gillani on Saturday. Ki- yani demanded three weeks ago that the government get a grip on the economy and corruption, Pakistani and U.S. officials said. In a nation that has been ruled by themilitary forhalf its life, specu- lation is rife that Kiyani’s pa- tience is running out, though most analysts and politicians deema coup unlikely. What is more likely, political
analysts said, is a continuation of the status quo. “We offer advice,” aU.S. official
said of recent discussions be- tween Americans and Zardari about government efficiency. “He doesn’t listen.”
brulliardk@washpost.com
Special correspondent Shaiq Hussain contributed to this report.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188