Ecuadorian among the few women operating heavy mining machinery in South America

Mother of a one-year-old little girl, Ecuadorian Maritza Reyes went from being a secretary to becoming one of the few women operators of machinery mining heavy in South America, work carried out tens of meters below land in the mine gold largest in his country.

30 years old, Maritza operates the machinery called “Jumbo”, a drilling unit equipped with one or more drilling hammers on hydraulic arms that have various drill bits, to excavate the tunnels of the Fruta del Norte gold mine, one of the two large-scale mines that has been active in Ecuador since 2019.

Born in the rural town of Los Encuentros, in the southern Amazon province of Zamora Chinchipe, where she worked as a secretary, Maritza told EFE that she likes “the most complicated goals.”

“Mining is something in which women have not been seen here, and (Canadian miner) Lundin Gold gave the opportunity. At first it was somewhat surprising because it has never been heard of women going (well, in itself, it is a bit more difficult, riskier work).“, said.

However, it was calm about the development of its activity due to the safety standards applied by the Fruta del Norte operating company, which extracts an annual average of 375,000 ounces of gold, and which has approximate proven and probable reserves of 5.02 million ounces.

“This is something surprising, very beautiful”, he pointed out when explaining that, more than strength, skill is needed to operate the machinery. He works on a 23-day basis in the La Zarza mining concession, where Fruta del Norte is located, and then enjoys a dozen days off.

“Yes, it is a little hard to separate from your children. My daughter is barely a year old. At first it is a very big challenge, but what fills me with peace of mind the most is that my husband is a responsible person, and he has shown it, more than anything, by taking care of my daughter. ”he commented.

During her pregnancy, she temporarily carried out lower-risk activities in offices, and after maternity and breastfeeding leave she returned to drilling the mine, which reaches 372.7 meters deep vertically from the surface.

Without gender distinction

Dozens of meters underground, on a tour of the mine to which EFE was invited, Bolivian Gustavo Canchari, operator instructor, explained that the machinery handled by Reyes weighs around 40 tons.

The first piece of equipment that Maritza drove was a hauling truck, but due to her high performance she was selected for the “jumbo,” Canchari explained to EFE.

Her training process included 600 hours: the first 200 hours she accompanied an authorized operator, the next 200 she had training with a permanent instructor and the remaining 200 hours she operated the equipment alone.

Although there are several female truck operators, Maritza “It is the first to operate a linear drilling rig in Ecuador and, I dare say, it is the first in South America”, commented the instructor who has trained personnel in mines in several countries. Mine in activity 24 hours a day

When descending through the mine, several drainage pipes and others through which services such as water and air enter are observed in the upper right part of the tunnel, while on the left pipes with internet cables and electricity of several volts appear.

A few drops of water falling from the roof, in the first section, remind us that the mine makes its way under the Machinaza River, but the leaks do not represent a danger to the mine, said Canchari, who supervises the operations.

The mine operates 24 hours a day, with different shifts of workers, including several women from various professions.

270 meters underground, where there is strict control of air quality, a workshop more than one hundred meters long and ten meters high is under construction for vehicle maintenance, in order to optimize times and increase productivity. from the mine, where Maritza builds her economy to benefit her family, which she plans to expand with another baby in the future.