In their families, mining goes back 150 years. Miguel Villegas now operates the huge elevator that transports workers down the 425-meter shaft of the four centuries old Rayas mine. Felipe Rivera believes that his great-great grandfather also worked in the Rayas mine. He no longer works there himself, but I met him near the mine, where he sells quartz crystals.

Tell me a little about how long you worked as a miner, and what that was like.

Felipe Rivera:  I worked for 20 years and 6 months in the Raya and San Vicente mines. My father, my grandparents, many uncles and cousins and a brother also work or worked in the silver and gold mines in Guanajuato.

Miguel Villegas:  I have worked in the mines since I was young, but now I operate the elevator here at Raya to transport the miners 425 meters below. Practically, the mines in Guanajuato produce much more silver than gold.

Mining is a dangerous profession. Did you have moments when you thought you might not survive? 

Because mining underground is dangerous work, we always wear protection. But even with a mask, very fine dust gets through. Silicosis is the main health problem for miners; it kills you slowly. At the processing end, exposure to mercury and other toxic substances can be dangerous. But where we worked underground conditions are different.

I quit mining because, to tell the truth, I was tired. My health was still good, so I decided it was time to quit. So now I sell quartz minerals and occasional prehistoric fossils to tourists. Friends in the mines bring these up to me.

Miguel: Accidents do happen. Last year in Coahuila miners were trapped in a massive underground flood, and a number drowned. In August of this year, a 29-year-old miner died in the San Agustín mine here in Guanajuato. The thing is that at those depths, you have to be prepared for floods. There can also be explosions, as happened at the Pasta de Conchos mine in Coahuila in 2006. In that disaster, more than 60 miners perished in the early morning from a methane explosion. 

Given the exploitation of miners, was there resistance against the Spanish mine owners? And what about resistance today — are you in a union?

Felipe: No, there is no union. Up until recently, most of the miners were members of a cooperative, the Sociedad Cooperativa Minera Metalúrgica de Guanajuato (Mining Metallurgical Cooperative Society). One had to work in the mine for three months before being accepted into the cooperative. In México most of the mines are now managed by Canadians. When the cooperative ended a few years ago, the Canadians took over all the mines in Guanajuato except one.

Miguel:  We never had the opportunity to be part of a union. The cooperative didn’t want a union, and the CTM unions are corrupt. With a union maybe we’d earn more. In reality, we don’t get paid enough. The average salary is $600 to $800 pesos (equivalent of $30–$46 dollars) per week, and we deserve more for our work.

Mining depends on water and a source of energy. In past centuries all the machinery was powered by steam, and to heat water firewood was needed. Is that why the mountains surrounding Guanajuato are bare? And because of contamination by toxic chemicals from mining, is that why no one drinks the water in Guanajuato?

I think that AMLO's Sembrando Vida program which puts young people to work planting trees would be a good idea here. Hopefully, over time we can recover from the devastation caused by mining in Guanajuato.