Treasure hunters endure tough conditions in Colombian emerald hub Muzo
In this small community in the foothills of the eastern Andes mountains, multinational mining company Esmeraldas Mining Services deposits tons of earth it has processed from its operations into a cage-like enclosure.
A few times a month, the mining company allows hundreds of miners — known as "guaqueros" or treasure hunters — to search through the detritus and take home any precious stones they find.
Emerald hunters come to Muzo, a town of about 9,000 inhabitants about 200 kilometers north of the capital Bogota, from all over South America.
READ MORE: Romancing the store
Among the miners is Miguel Hernandez, 72, who grips a cane as he waits outside the cage, where some hopefuls have lined up since 3 am.
"May our Heavenly Father give me a gift so I can buy a new home …it's what I want most," he said.
Many emerald hunters bring their own shovels and sacks.
After filling the bags with as much earth as they can carry, they haul the bags down to a nearby stream and filter through the findings to see if any emeralds are hidden inside.
Several guaquero associations have been authorized by Esmeraldas Mining Services to help coordinate logistics.
The enclosure remains open for about four hours at a time and by the end, many return home empty-handed more often than not.
"The mining causes a very delicate problem," said Ximena Castaneda, the mayor of Muzo.
"And it's that folks come with the expectation they will be millionaires one day.
"Some arrive and make money, while others never do," she continued.
Those who can eke out a living get by on the luck of the draw.
"I have been in the mines here for 30 years and emeralds have come out … but every day it's getting more difficult," said Gilberto Cifuentes, 54.
Local divide
Colombia is one of the world's largest producers of emeralds, with exports of the gems totaling $122 million in 2022, according to the National Federation of Emeralds.
However, most of the profits go toward multinational mining corporations or powerful mining families.
Esmeraldas Mining Services operates a foundation in Muzo which conducts various social programs.
Still, some believe the company could do more to give back to the impoverished community around the mines.
Steven Ariza, 35, overseeing one of the guaquero associations, said the group advocates for Esmeraldas Mining Services to hire more workers from Muzo, source supplies locally and generally invest in the region.
Steven Medina, 24, also seeks to bring awareness to the plight of the miners.
Medina leads foreign buyers on regular tours of the mines to show them the reality behind the precious gems, most of which end up in either Europe or the United States.
People need a lot of help in Muzo, he said.
