ASSUMPTION.The Vice Minister of Mines and Energy, Mauricio Bejarano, spoke of a million-dollar investment with the prospect of finding lithium deposits in the Paraguayan Chaco. According to Bejarano, a prestigious Canadian holding company committed to leading prospecting efforts in the region, after identifying potential in the national territory.
“There are indications of the presence of lithium in the Chaco area, possibly leaking from the Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia into our territory,” said the vice minister, in an interview with the radio station 780 AM. The vice minister highlighted the possibility that Paraguay is located in what he called “the lithium triangle.”
Bejarano emphasized that, if the presence of lithium is confirmed, the extraction would be carried out under a non-traditional mining approach, which implies a commitment to more sustainable and responsible practices.
The vice minister explained that the State does not invest in the search for lithium and the only thing it does is grant permits, since the Paraguayan subsoil is property of the State. He pointed out that a fee is obtained for each hectare taken, which directly benefits the Paraguayan State and in the future, the exploitation sows royalties.
The Canadian company, as announced by the vice minister, agreed to an initial investment of 30 million dollars to carry out prospecting work in the region.
