Chilean Mining Minister Accomplishes Rescue Mission

While 33 Chilean miners were trapped underground for 69 days, Laurence Golborne, Stanford Executive Program ‘96, was busy overseeing the rescue operation, fielding questions from journalists from around the globe, and comforting the family members of the men nearly a half mile beneath the activity on the surface.

In early October, just before the rescue operation near Copiapo, Chile commenced, a journalist asked Golborne, “How are the miners?” His reply, according to the Guardian: “Calmer than the journalists.”

The British paper also reported how, as Chile’s Mining Minister, Golborne’s response to the crisis won the hearts of Chileans and people from around the world. His approval rating in Chile shot to 87% and many followed the unfolding drama through Golborne’s tweets; he currently has more than 67,000 followers.