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.

The People’s Choice: Mexico, Morena, and the 2018 Election

Elections, the rise of Morena, and democratic change in Mexico. For much of the last 80 years, Mexico has been dominated by the same political party, which governed via corruption, sham elections, and brute force. In 2018 Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, completed a shocking rise as leader of the new Morena party. What’s behind this new movement? Can it withstand the pressures of rampant corruption and political violence and bring about a new day in Mexico? Or will Morena just be more of the same in Mexican politics? From the badlands of Juarez to remote indigenous territories of Oaxaca, we track the rise of Morena, and what it means for the future of Mexican democracy.

The People’s Choice