A Bolivian court has frozen lithium contracts with China and Russia, halting progress on the country's vast mineral reserves just as the new government seeks to deepen ties with Western partners.
The legal intervention creates immediate uncertainty for foreign investment in one of the world's most significant battery-mineral deposits.
Bolivia holds an estimated 23 million tonnes of lithium resources, positioning it as a critical node in the global supply chain for electric vehicles and energy storage.
Bolivia holds an estimated 23 million tonnes of lithium resources, positioning it as a critical node in the global supply chain for electric vehicles and energy storage.
The court's decision effectively pauses the operational framework established with Beijing and Moscow, leaving the status of these strategic partnerships in limbo.
This development underscores the fragility of resource deals in the region, where political shifts and judicial reviews can rapidly alter the investment landscape.
The freeze coincides with a broader realignment in Latin American resource politics.