Lithium and green extractivism in Chile: Discourses and practices during Gabriel Boric's government

This article analyzes green extractivism during Gabriel Boric's government in Chile, focusing on lithium policies. We examine the tension between environmentalist rhetoric and extractive practices by analyzing the lithium policy implementation, where negotiations with Chinese companies for value-added production coexist with agreements that consolidate the traditional extractive model, extending exploitation rights in the Atacama Salt Flat until 2050. Using discourse analysis and policy review, our findings reveal how Boric's administration has reinforced extractivist dynamics under the umbrella of energy transition, exemplifying what Svampa conceptualizes as the shift from the “consensus of commodities” to the “consensus of decarbonization.” The case illustrates how peripheral economies face structural limitations in overcoming resource dependency even under progressive governments, while indigenous perspectives and territorial rights are marginalized. This research contributes to understanding the contradictions between environmental discourse and extractive practices in Latin American progressive governments.