President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said this Wednesday that a bill to reform the mining law that he will send to Congress on Monday if an initiative for constitutional changes to the electricity sector that seeks to give the State control over the lithium.
AMLO He had anticipated his plan on Friday, after his calls to opposition congressmen to support his reform of the Magna Carta did not bear fruit, which, among other things, implies not giving concessions to exploit lithium, a strategic mineral from which Mexico would have big reserves.
“If there are not two thirds on Sunday (…) if there is betrayal by the legislators, we already have, I just signed this morning the initiative to reform the mining law that does not require two thirds, it is a simple majority, so that lithium remains the property of the nation,” he said.
The constitutional reform presented by López Obrador in October will be discussed over the weekend at the Chamber of Deputies. However, the president’s allies do not have the necessary votes to approve it, so they will have to turn to the opposition, which has said it will vote against it.
The proposal, which has alarmed business leaders and foreign officials, including from the United States, aims to put the electricity sector in the hands of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), as well as to eliminate regulatory bodies, eliminate permits and guarantee the dominance of the nation over coveted lithium reserves.