International
Argentina’s lithium pipeline promises “white gold” boom as Chile tightens control
April 24 |
In Argentina’s mountainous north, a robust portfolio of lithium projects about to come online looks set to unlock a production wave that could triple its output of the key metal for electric vehicle batteries in the next two years.
The world’s fourth-largest producer of the silvery-white metal sits within the so-called “lithium triangle” and has been attracting investment from Canadian mining companies to ones from China with a regional and market-driven model, even as a wave of resource nationalism has swept through the region.
Neighboring Chile, the region’s top lithium producer, last week unveiled plans for a state-led public-private model, spooking investors. Bolivia has long maintained tight control over its huge but largely untapped resources, while Mexico nationalized its lithium deposits last year.
In Argentina, although state energy company YPF YPFD.BA began exploring for lithium last year, the sector has been driven largely by private enterprise and periodic approvals of new projects as the government has sought to attract more export dollars through mining, a rare bright spot amid the economic downturn.
“Argentina has been granting concessions to projects for the last 10 years,” said Franco Mignacco, president of the Argentine Mining Business Chamber. “That’s why today we have this level of lithium investment and development and the possibility of growth.”
Mignacco estimated that Argentina’s current production of 40,000 tons of lithium carbonate could triple by 2024-2025 to 120,000 tons, which could take it beyond China and closer to Chile, which currently produces about 180,000 tons per year.
That would be driven by new projects coming online in addition to the two currently in production. The country has six lithium projects under construction and 15 in advanced exploration or feasibility stage, Mignacco said.
Argentina, Bolivia and Chile together sit on half of the world’s mineral resources beneath otherworldly salt flats in the high-altitude Andean plains.
But strategies for developing it diverge.
“Argentina’s lithium sector has thrived through a decentralized pro-market strategy,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America program at The Wilson Center, adding that, in contrast, Bolivia’s lithium sector “has repeatedly stagnated as a result of excessive state control.”
Chile, he said, may have found a “smart middle ground” with its public-private model, which would hand majority control of all new lithium projects to the state in a nationalist shift, but would still give private enterprise a key role.
The wave of resource nationalism has sparked some talk among officials of a possible OPEC-style lithium cartel in the region, although analysts see this as unrealistic given the industry’s diverse models and levels of development.
Meanwhile, Argentina faces challenges including economic turbulence with high inflation and capital controls complicating business, while the country heads into general elections in October, creating political uncertainty.
However, its lithium pipeline may keep the sector buzzing and even gain ground on rivals. Overtaking neighboring Chile would be highly unlikely, but some analysts were aiming high.
“Chile today produces and exports much more lithium than Argentina,” said Natacha Izquierdo, an analyst at consultancy ABCEB. “But if the projects we have here today come to fruition, Argentina could overtake us.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
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