Lithium, also called "white petroleum" is one of the most expensive and important raw materials of our time. It is indispensable for the production of smartphones and electric cars, the consumption and the demand for lithium increases annually. So far, lithium was mined mainly in the so-called "lithium triangle", (areas in Bolivia, Argentina and Chile) by imperialist investors.
It’s no surprise that in these countries the people didn’t benefit from the natural resources of their country, but only the ruling classes – the bureaucratic bourgeoisie in connection with the landlords – and the imperialists gained huge profits, because it has never been the poorest and widest parts of the masses who have benefited from the economic upswing of their country. On the contrary, the development of lithium mining has frequently led to great environmental pollution, which especially affects the local population, as e.g. drinking water is contaminated. The benefits of lithium in the world are evident: in the imperialist countries, lithium is used to power clean energy resources, while its dirty mining contributes to the destruction of the environment in the oppressed nations. Because of that, there have been e.g. in Chile already great protests of the people against lithium degradation.
The development of imperialists who generate their wealth through lithium and leave nothing to the people but soil and drinking water pollution could happen now in Peru as well, because a Canadian company has now discovered huge lithium deposits in Falchani. This find, which also includes uranium deposits, could become the largest lithium mine in the world. The Canadian imperialists will now have to negotiate with the old Peruvian state to create a legal basis for the extraction of radioactive material (because without the promotion of uranium deposits there will be no promotion of lithium). What we can be certain about is that any law or contract regarding the mining projects won’t serve the interests of the people, but the imperialists and its lackeys. The Peruvian people can only truly liberate themselves from the exploitation and oppression of imperialism through the new democratic revolution. Which is led by the Communist Party of Peru and carried out through people’s war.
