As a window of opportunity for US critical minerals diplomacy opens in South America, it should be leveraged by prioritizing climate and environmental concerns alongside Latin America’s ambitions for green industrialization.

With the election of José Antonio Kast this past Sunday in Chile, a political shift is trending toward a growing number of conservative governments in Latin America. A new wave of conservative figures and political parties have made inroads in Argentina and Bolivia. Alongside Chile, these countries have the potential to become key partners for US critical minerals diplomacy, if not other strategic areas, but US investment will be necessary to make the case that stronger hemispheric ties are on the horizon. 

In addition to greater US investment, the Trump Administration could become well regarded in South America and across the Global South by moderating its approach on environmental issues. The United States continues to remain an outlier, as it formalizes an exit from the Paris Agreement in the coming year — joining the ranks of Iran, Libya, and Yemen — an outcome that some environmental proponents argue will only benefit China’s trajectory in becoming the     world’s first “electrostate.”

Against the backdrop of strategic competition with China, the Trump Administration could begin connecting its desire for South America’s critical minerals with the desire to foster greater US leadership on clean energy technologies and showcase greater awareness of the growing concerns over the environment and societal demands to protect its security at home and abroad. 

Taken together, the geological endowments of these three Latin American nations form South America’s Lithium Triangle, where more than half of the world’s lithium resources and reserves are concentrated. Australia and Chile alone represent 75 percent of global lithium production, but social and environmental issues, including water scarcity, remain critical challenges. 

Among the riches of the Atacama Desert, Chile also holds the world’s largest copper reserves and leads global production in it. New government incentives in neighboring Argentina seek to attract investment for the development of its copper resources amid global shortages and increased premiums on the metal. Bolivia has so far lagged behind its neighbors, with limited commercial exploration and development of its lithium reserves. But with the recent election of Rodrigo Paz, pro-market reforms could likely focus efforts on a rapid expansion of the country’s lithium and mining sectors to jumpstart the national economy. 

Meanwhile, the development of rare earth deposits remains of interest across the region. South American governments aligned with the Trump Administration could offer a narrow window for the United States to gain important ground in strengthening strategic economic relations, especially as it relates to increased rivalries and competition with China, which controls 19 out of 20 strategic minerals and holds an average market share of seventy percent for global refining, according to the International Energy........

© The National Interest