The Chilean justice rejected on Friday, due to being out of date, a protection appeal presented this week by a group of opposition deputies who sought to stop a tender promoted by the government to auction new lithium contracts.
The Santiago Appeals Court said that the tender was known in mid-October through a decree of the Mining Ministry published in the official gazette and that this is also clear from the legal action presented by the opposition parliamentarians.
“That having deduced the present appeal on January 4, two thousand and twenty-two, that is, after the term established for its filing has elapsed in excess, it cannot be accepted for processing as untimely,” said the resolution. “It is declared inadmissible.”
On Tuesday, a group of parliamentarians from the center-left opposition party PPD presented the legal action arguing that it put at risk “the general interest of the nation,” according to one of the promoters of the appeal, Congressman Raúl Soto.
Chile announced in October the auction process to award operating contracts to explore and produce 400,000 tonnes of lithium metal for batteries, in a bid to boost production and meet global demand. The Chilean SQM and the giant Albemarle are two of the five companies that are in the race.
The surprise bidding process, which will close in mid-January, has been criticized by opponents and the circle close to president-elect Gabriel Boric. This week the Minister of Mining and Energy, Juan Carlos Jobet, met with Boric advisers in an attempt to bring positions closer to the process.
Boric will assume command in March.
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