Battle lines redrawn as Argentinaβs lithium mines ramp up to meet electric car demand
25 June 2024 at 09:00
Mining companies accused of colonial βdivide and ruleβ tactics in their pursuit of the precious metal that lies under the countryβs salt flats
β’ Harriet Barber in the Salinas Grandes, Argentina. Photographs by John Owens
In the vast white desert of the Salinas Grandes, Antonio Calpanchay, 45, lifts his axe and slices the ground. He has worked this land since he was 12, chopping and collecting salt, replenishing it for the seasons ahead and teaching his children to do the same.
βAll of our aboriginal community works here, even the elders,β he says, sheltering his weathered face from the sun. βWe always have. It is our livelihood.β
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