Santiago - The Chilean miners whose dramatic rescue won them worldwide fame have accused President Sebastian Pinera of reneging on a promise of at least six months of free medical care, a court source said on Tuesday.
Four of the 33 miners have lost their medical leave because they missed scheduled doctors' appointments while travelling in the weeks following their October 13 rescue after 69 days in a caved-in gold and copper mine.
“President Pinera agreed with them that the entire group would be cared for for six months, and that is a promise that they feel is not being kept,” their lawyer Edgardo Reinoso told Radio Cooperativa.
Reinoso said their insurer ACHS had in fact dropped coverage for psychological services and was only covering basic medical care.
The miners became global media stars following the dramatic rescue, which brought a cascade of invitations for media appearances and endorsements.
Twenty-six of the rescued miners travelled to England to watch a December 13 football game between Manchester United and Arsenal.
In November, all 33 toured Hollywood and Beverly Hills as guests of CNN. In October, four of them visited Madrid.
All 33 are scheduled to visit Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on January 26 with four relatives each. - Sapa-AFP