Boric’s Lithium Strategy Will Hinder Chile’s Growth, Conservative Rival Kast Says
- Presidential candidate in 2021 says he hopes to run again
- Government has said lithium strategy to attract more investors
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The founder of Chile’s surging right-wing party bashed President Gabriel Boric’s plan for government control of lithium production, saying it would set the country back in competing for investment.
Jose Antonio Kast, who lost to Boric in the 2021 presidential election and aims to run again in 2025, said state-owned companies don’t have the expertise to extract lithium and ensure that Chileans get the maximum value for their natural resources. “If we delay, the most likely scenario is that Argentina, Bolivia and Australia are the biggest lithium producers,” he said.