Mastodawn

"The so-called lithium triangle — the Andean desert plateau sweeping from northern Chile and Argentina to southern Bolivia — contains over half of the world’s resources of lithium, an essential mineral for the energy transition. Just a few years ago, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile were all governed by the left. Today, only one of those countries still is, and its days are numbered.

When José Antonio Kast assumes power in Chile on March 11, all three will be led by centre to rightwing presidents.

It’s a stunning reversal of political fortune with major implications for critical minerals. Among the region’s heads of state in recent years, there was talk of a “lithium Opec” to co-ordinate the sector, the return of resource nationalism and the rise of state-led green development — intermingled with the hope of social benefit within environmental limits. In stark contrast, Kast, Argentina’s Javier Milei and Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia have vowed to entice foreign investment, and are turning to US President Donald Trump for bilateral deals.

But in the often opaque realm of resource extraction, appearances can be deceiving. These rightwing leaders are aligned with Trump, but China’s economic pull could well prove stronger. Avowed commitments to free markets and private investment are anachronistic in an era of state capitalism, and in sectors pervaded by the logic of national security. And in the peripheries where mining occurs, communities are no more tolerant of uncontrolled extraction than they were before these administrations took power. The stark realities of geopolitical and social conflict will shape lithium governance."

https://www.ft.com/content/0276e510-cbf2-4d9f-a790-a55d6667d9fc

#LatinAmerica #Lithium #LithiumTriangle #EnergyTransition #Chile #Argentina

Latin America’s lithium triangle is now in the hands of the right

A reversal of political fortune in the region has major implications for critical minerals

Financial Times

DoomsdaysCW Aug 12, 2025

In pictures: #SouthAmerica's 'LithiumFields' reveal the dark side of our electric future

By Maeve Campbell
Published on 01/02/2022

"Lithium extraction fields in South America have been captured by an aerial photographer in stunning high definition.

"But while the images may be breathtaking to look at, they represent the dark side of our swiftly electrifying world.

"Lithium represents a route out of our reliance on #FossilFuel production. As the lightest known metal on the planet, it is now widely used in electric devices from mobile phones and laptops, to cars and aircraft.

"#LithiumIon batteries are most famous for powering electric vehicles, which are set to account for up to 60 per cent of new car sales by 2030. The battery of a #Tesla Model S, for example, uses around 12 kg of lithium.

"These batteries are the key to lightweight, rechargeable power. As it stands, demand for lithium is unprecedented and many say it is crucial in order to transition to #renewables.

"However, this doesn't come without a cost - mining the chemical element can be harmful to the environment.

"German aerial photographer Tom Hegen specialises in documenting the traces we leave on the earth's surface. His work provides an overview of places where we extract, refine and consume resources with his latest series exposing the '#LithiumTriangle.'

"This region rich with natural deposits can be found where the borders of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia meet. And roughly a quarter is stored in the Salar de Atacama salt flats in northern Chile."

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/02/01/south-america-s-lithium-fields-reveal-the-dark-side-of-our-electric-future

#EVs #LithiumAlternatives #RecycleLithium #NoLithiumMining #NoMiningWithoutConsent #LithiumProcessing #WaterIsLife #NatureIsLife #HydrogenFuelCells #SodiumIonBatteries