Emeralds spring from the heart of these mountains. In 2009 Minería Texas Colombia (MTC) arrived in the town of Muzo and since then violence and poverty have disappeared. Today, emerald mining signifies hope for the inhabitants of western Boyacá department, an example of modernization and a little piece of Colombia for the world. This has been achieved, in part, due to the efforts of The Muzo Companies (TMC) in Colombia over the past ten years.