Pdts. Congress on Lithium will be held in Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Mexico

Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Mexico, countries participating in the “Perspectives on Lithium from Latin America” ​​held on April 13 and 14, have agreed to raise the issue of the mineral at this year’s International Conference of Presidents. Bolivian Minister of Hydrocarbons, Franklin Molina.

According to the official, these countries are aware of the enormous challenges posed today by the new energy conversion agenda towards renewable energies and electromobility, but today this energy transformation plays a key role in the geopolitical conflicts that dominate international relations.

“In the light of the diverse historical experiences in each country that holds important assets, we can ask ourselves in the future whether we can design new sustainable extraction and production plans today aimed at delivering our own transformation plans. Energy, and what social, economic, political and geopolitical, technological and social -Under environmental conditions, ”the minister said.

“To address these and other issues, we will hold the ‘International Lithium Congress’, which will face-to-face and involve top political officials from Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Mexico,” he added.

The conference will be attended by key world leaders in education, professional and social organizations of various sectors, organizations and nationalities, under the auspices of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in collaboration with the United Nations.

Representatives of the countries and the ECLAC acknowledged that lithium is a strategic resource to help control climate change and stressed the need to develop innovative and eco-friendly strategies to exploit and industrialize this natural resource.

Jeannette Sánchez Zurita, Director of Natural Resources at ECLAC, opened the circle of presentations at the forum to point out that the growing production of energy and electromobility will require more lithium.

Meanwhile, Chilean Minister of Mines Marcela Hernando said that there are 63 potential salt marshes in 18 salt flats in her country and that the Atacama salt flats are the most appropriate, as part of her presentation: “Chile Lithium: Current News and Perspectives”.

According to Hernando, in order to use the metal for the benefit of his country, it is necessary to overcome some difficulties such as lack of knowledge about how salt layers behave and their social and environmental sustainability.

In this sense, he promised that after President Gabriel Borick came to power, the creation of the national institution Lithium, the creation of a new industry with the participation of communities, would be the purpose of other measures to ensure sustainable administration with respect. To communities.

Guillermo Usandivaras, Undersecretary for Institutional Coordination at the Argentine Energy Secretariat, was present on behalf of Energy Secretary Tario Martinez. Exploitation, for two construction and 50 study.

Usandivaras commented that according to the Argentine Mining Code, lithium began to form as part of the first type of mining to be obtained by private, national or foreign agents through provincial mining concessions, without conditions or conditions.

In turn, Mexican Energy Secretary Rocio Nahle Garcia said his country has 1.7 million metric tons of lithium reserves, according to the US Geological Survey.

The lithium sector in Mexico has 36 concessions, 27 of which are currently operational and controlled by 10 foreign capital firms. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lபpez Obrador has announced in recent days that he will introduce a bill to nationalize Lithium.

Similarly, Franklin Molina, Bolivia’s head of hydrocarbons and energy, said one of the main concerns of council members was “guaranteeing energy security and maintaining a reliable supply.”

“Our Latin America is becoming a key player in the global energy environment because more than half of the world’s reserves are located in Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. This puts us in a critical geopolitical environment because the lithium content in the region is a key factor in energy conversion strategies,” he said. .

Taken from Telesur