According to foreign media reports, Bolivia recently signed two lithium resources development contracts with Chinese and Russian enterprises with a total value of more than $2 billion (equivalent to more than 140 yuan), and the project with an estimated annual output of 35000 tons of lithium carbonate has been suspended by the local court.
The two contracts were signed in 2023 and 2024, respectively, affecting the CBC consortium in Ningde Times, China, and the Uranium One Group of Rosatom, Russia's national nuclear energy group.
The suspension was issued last week by a mixed court in the village of Colcha K in the Potosí region, following legal proceedings by local indigenous groups.
The plaintiff alleged that the project was promoted without the constitutional procedures of environmental consultation and community consent, which allegedly violated the environmental rights of indigenous people.