Ryan Dube writes in The Wall Street Journal about South America’s lithium industry.
- The Lithium Triangle, which includes swaths of Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, could be key to powering the energy transition but opposition is getting in the way.
- Formerly a leader in the global lithium market, government shifts and stringent regulations are hurting Chile’s lithium sector.
- Chile’s newly-elected and far-left president Gabriel Boric is looking to nationalize the lithium industry, which is scaring off investors and private capital.
- Rather than doubling down on big government, Chile should embrace the principles of economic freedom to bolster its economy and its peoples’ livelihoods.
“’Latin America specializes in killing golden geese and one of the quickest ways to do so is through resource nationalism,’ said Benjamin Gedan, a Latin America expert at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center who closely tracks the region’s lithium industry. ‘This boom could very quickly turn to bust if bad policies are brought forward.’”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
