If there is indeed a foreign-based lithium angle underlying the Chilean protests, this points to issues involving the increasingly desperate struggle by governments around the world to capture an adequate share of what is now a vital natural resource.
This said, I am only guessing but it's not a guess that Chile's government muffed what was a very lucrative trade in lithium. There is also a Russian angle to this, and by now everyone should know what that means: If the Russians, even partnering with Canada, are moving in on Chile's lithium resources, the Get Russia crowd in the West is not going to take this lying down. Would that crowd go so far as to foment an insurgency in Chile? Sure, if getting rid of Pinera meant throwing a monkey wrench in the government's lithium deal with Russia.
Of course, several issues have fueled the protests in Chile, but if lithium is involved, then all the reforms in the world are not going to stanch the bleeding until Pinera's government falls or he nixes lithium business with the Russians.
I'll add that aside from any foreign meddling, indigenous people who live near the lithium deposits have legitimate reasons to protest the extractions.
All right. Here's SouthFront's very clear map of lithium deposits in Chile. Note that the accompanying article, headlined, SOUTH AMERICA LITHIUM TRIANGLE (MAP UPDATE) says nothing about lithium. It's all about Evo Morales and his troubles in Bolivia, which is also in the lithium triangle. Did an SF editor mess up? Are they so stressed about their November fundraising drive (one day left PLEASE send those people money) that they got their reports and headlines mixed up? Possibly, or possibly they are signifying something for which they have no proof but which has raised their suspicions.
Here's an extensive report on the Russia angle at S&P Global headlined Chile project could be path to lithium supply for Russia's Rosatom. Note that the Russians have come up with a technique that lessens the environmental issue with lithium extraction in Chile.
There are lots of reports posted at Google on the lithium angle and Chile; here are two backgrounders:
Lithium firms depleting vital water supplies in Chile, analysis suggests; E&T, August 21, 2019.
I wish I could give more time to this issue but I'm barreling through my computer's 'history' section in the effort to clear the cache of important news reports, which I've let pile up for months. One of those reports, a recent one, points to what might be the mother of all black swan events. Against this report, the current unrest in Chile and other LATAM countries is small chips. Indeed, everything else is small chips, at least in my book.
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