Chilean president: Looking forward to imminent mine rescue

Chilean President Sebasthammer mill for goldpage6ian Pinera says he is looking forward to the imminent rescue of the 33 miners trapped for more than two months nearly half a mile below ground. Officials have said rescue crews will begin Wednesday -- and perhaps even earlier -- pulling the men to safety.

"I hope that by tomorrow [Tuesday] or Wednesday, the miners will not only be able to see sunlight, but embrace their wives and girlfriends, parents, mothers and children," Pinera told CNN en Espanol on Monday. Pinera, who is expected at the mine site for the rescue, spoke in Quito, Ecuador. "We have been with the miners since the accident and will remain with them once they are rescued," he said. The president added the miners' reintegration into society will likely be difficult as they must build new lives and will face the added pressures that come from global media attention. Chilean Mining Minister Laurence Golborne told reporters Monday outside the mine that workers are hoping to initiate the rescue beginning late Tuesday night or early Wednesday.