Naturally recurring lithium reduces suicides. It is also the prime ingredient in lithium batteries for today’s generation of electric vehicles.
Bolivia is a country which suddenly has new value for its natural resource, of which it sits on half the world’s supply.
It wil be interesting to see how its government now determines how to share with private entreprise in the spoils that will be their newfound “oil deposits”.
Does Bolivia become the new saudi arabia? I think not. It has a far more social approach given its history of suffering exploitation at the hands of previous mineral companies deals. You can bet that this time around, there will be greater gain for the country and its indigenous population than in prior situations.
If we give it about 5-10years before lithium is replaced (and its expensive extraction and conversion into batteries), that means that the time is now for them to enjoy the benefits that new technology marketplaces are going to bring to their coffers…