As Chile revs up lithium plans, Indigenous people demand more control

7/4/2025 19:11

Chile's Indigenous communities in the lithium-rich Atacama Desert are in talks with two of the nation's biggest miners to gain more influence over plans to increase extraction of the battery metal, according to the companies and community sources.



The negotiations with Chile's state-run Codelco, the world's biggest copper producer, and Chilean lithium producer SQM, come as the companies are close to finalizing a partnership that will mark the state's entry into production of the metal that is crucial for electric vehicle batteries.



The talks to craft a so-called "governance" plan began in March and are expected to conclude by year-end, Reuters learned exclusively. They follow a dialogue begun last year in which the companies explained the joint venture, and community representatives laid out their concerns.