Fair go, the names are common in South America.
The announcement clearly indicates very close and long term ties to Argentina:
"Juan Manuel Santos stated, "We believe that business must be done from the heart, and cooperatively, to create effective and continuous improvement that generates a positive impact on
society.
“This land was staked by my father 20 years ago and we have been approached by many groups to
sell our land for its Lithium prospects. We resisted those approaches in recent years for various
reasons until we decided to partner with Xantippe due to their Capital Markets accessibility and
technical and organizational expertise. We were introduced to them originally by the Arecco family
whom we highly respect and with whom we have longstanding business relationships. We will all be
totally involved in working with the communities in Catamarca and the environment. The protection
of our environment will always be a priority for me, working with professionals and with the
government’s support we will seek benefits for all.”
Imants Kins, Chairman of XTC, stated, "The Santos family has profound roots in Northern Argentina
and throughout the country; I believe their knowledge of this area and its people give the Company
a great appreciation of how to build a successful business here.
Having the strength of the Santos family, in particular the management expertise of Juan Manuel
Santos to lead our project, gives us a competitive advantage in Catamarca and hence the battery
metals industry. The Santos family has built very important business relationships with the people of
Northern Argentina for many years and has received great respect from the community."The bits I have bolded indicate a businessman from Argentine, not a politician from Columbia. With all due respect, management expertise is not a common ability found, at least in Australian politics. In other parts it talks about his families' long connection with Argentine. My take, two extremely competent people, in their own fields, but two people
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