'In the Name of “White Gold”, People in the Salar are Bleeding’: Lithium Mining and Conflict in the Indigenous Territories of Argentina’s Puna

Marta Furlan, Free the Slaves (Italy)

In the context of climate change mediation, the importance of critical minerals has been increasing dramatically. However, the extensive extraction of those minerals can trigger conflicts in sourcing areas. This has been observed across several Indigenous territories, where most critical minerals are found. The article investigates localized dynamics of Indigenous conflict mobilization against the extraction of critical minerals in their ancestral territories, focusing on the province of Jujuy in north-western Argentina. It argues that Indigenous conflict mobilization is driven by the mines’ adverse impact on water and land, the disruption of local livelihoods due to changes introduced by mining activities in the ecosystem, the mining companies’ disregard for local spiritual practices and cultural identity, and the failure of the provincial government and mining companies to engage in proper consultation processes. The article concludes with some reflections on strategies to prevent and mitigate critical minerals-related conflicts in Indigenous territories.