Mexico.- This Monday afternoon, it was approved in the Chamber of Deputies on “fast track” the reform of the Mining Law proposed by the president Andres Manuel Lopez Obradorwhich aims nationalize lithium located in the national territory.
On the night of last Sunday, April 17, the Lower House of the Congress of the Union rejected the opinion that contained the constitutional reform initiative in electrical matters through which the government of the Fourth Transformation intended to strengthen the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and, at the same time, nationalize Mexico’s lithium.
After the “energy counter-reform” was not endorsed, President López Obrador sent a new legislative project, but this time it is a reform of the Mining Law, that is, a secondary law in which a relative majority is not required.
Read more: Chamber of Deputies approves in general and in particular the reform of the Mining Law
In order to protect the exploitation of lithium by foreign companies, the head of the Federal Executive Branch proposed reform articles 1, 5, 9 and 10 of the Mining Law of the Mexican Republic, a norm found in article 27 of the Mexican Constitution.
In it first articlethe new initiative of the federal government proposes that “the exploration, exploitation and use of lithium will be in charge of a decentralized public body that will be created in terms of article 10 of this Law”, that is, as President López himself explained Obrador in his morning conferences, will seek to create a state company, such as the CFE or Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
Meanwhile, regarding the concessions for the lithium exploitationthe Federal Executive’s proposal to amend the article 5 states: “the exploration, exploitation and use of lithium is declared to be of public utility, for which no concessions, licenses, contracts, permits, assignments or authorizations will be granted in this matter. Those in which there are lithium deposits will be considered mining reserve areas.
In the same article, he remarks that “it is recognized that lithium is the heritage of the nation and its exploration, exploitation and use are reserved for the exclusive benefit of the people of Mexico”, after which it states that the economic value of lithium will be managed and controlled by a public body.
It adds that the State is obliged to protect and guarantee the health of Mexican citizensof the environment and of the native peoples of the national territory before the exploitation of lithium.
On the other hand, in the reform to the article 9 of the Mining Law, it is proposed that the Mexican Geological Service will assist the public body to locate and recognize the geological areas in which there are lithium reserves.
Meanwhile, article 10 of the rule establishes that the new public body to operate the resource will be structured “as determined by the Executive, in terms of the applicable provisions.”
Read more: I already sent it! AMLO reveals that he left the reform of the Mining Law ready since Thursday
“The expenditures that are generated (…), including the creation of the body, will be covered by compensated movements, charged to the budget of the unit that assumes the sectoral coordination functions of the aforementioned body (…), so no extensions will be authorized. to the budget of the corresponding branch for the current fiscal year for these purposes”, indicates the reform initiative after detailing, in the third transitory article, that the president of Mexico will have to issue, within 90 business days of the entry into force of the decree , an instrument for creating the decentralized body.
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