{{{Two minutes of luck}}}
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I don’t know how to describe this inequality … it’s not personal, it’s business. Some people look for fortune and others just negotiate with it.
[dropcap]From[/dropcap] treasure hunters and dealers; five hours far from the Colombian capital, travelling through mule tracks and sectors where your back will give thanks for the paved roads, you will find a little town called the Emerald Capital, Muzo; a place where everything revolves around the extraction and marketing of emeralds.
When you walk through its streets you are able to listen and observe various types of people dedicated to this labour; big traders, miners, allied companies that exploit the ground looking for some kind of fortune. Ordinary people who come from different regions of the country are just working to make a living and maybe find a tiny rock that could change their lives forever.
The day begins very early in the morning. The “mochileros” (transport cars) go out at five am towards the “Quebrada Las Animas”, where they are going to dedicate tireless hours extracting emeralds.
If you visit the “Quebrada Las Animas” you’ll notice that a lot of people live nearby; many live there for its comfort of being close to where the precious mineral lays. Dedicated to working many hours, everyday the workers pray for two minutes of luck so they could have the chance of changing their lives forever; a tiny stone is all they need.
You can also see people with different types of clothes not originating from Muzo. Foreigners and tourists traveling to the shore waiting to buy emeralds, precious stones, crystals etc… It’s an activity where the extractor sells at one price and the dealer at another, leading to disputes for the perfect price where the dealer always has the upper hand. I don’t know how to describe this inequality … it’s not personal, it’s business. Some people look for fortune and others just negotiate with it.
Gillmar Said Villamil
Gillmar is a photo & video journalist from Bogotá, Colombia.
www.villamil.photoshelter.com/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]