White Gold

Lithium, Power, and the Andes

By Samuel George
22min2026
Latin American LithiumCritical MineralsMining and Human RightsIndigenous Communities

In Bolivia and Chile, at the lithium-rich heart of Latin America, a global mining boom is accelerating as demand for electric vehicle batteries fuels a scramble for critical minerals—raising urgent questions about power, profit, Indigenous lands, and the true cost of clean energy.