Another article as well...
https://www.americaeconomia.com/neg...rechaza-recurso-contra-la-estatal-codelco-por
Constitutional Court in Chile rejects recourse against state company Codelco for exploitation of lithium
In its opinion, the court concluded that the request "is a matter of the competence of the judge of the merits" that reviews the case and does not correspond to that entity to settle the litigation.
Salar Blanco, a partnership between a local firm, the Australian Lithium Power International and the Canadian Bearing Lithium, ensures that the world's largest copper producer would not be legally authorized to enter the mineral business.
May 23, 2018, 15:53
Santiago . The Constitutional Court of Chile declared inadmissible an appeal filed by a private company against state-owned Codelco in a dispute over the exploitation of lithium in the Salar Maricunga, according to the ruling that Reuters agreed to on Wednesday.
Salar Blanco, a partnership between a local firm, the Australian Lithium Power International and the Canadian Bearing Lithium, assures that the world's largest copper producer would not be legally authorized to enter the business of the key mineral for the manufacture of batteries.
In its opinion, the court concluded that the request "is a matter of the competence of the judge of the merits" that reviews the case and does not correspond to that entity to settle the litigation.
Salar Blanco has challenged before the Court of Appeals the Special Contract for the Operation of Lithium (CEOL) granted to Codelco on the grounds that it overcomes its rights in the deposit.
Codelco's incursion into the southernmost reservoir in Chile has not been easy, as it faces Salar Blanco, an association seeking to exploit their rights in that deposit.
The lawsuit has forced Codelco to pause its plans and suspend the search for a partner to explore and develop Maricunga, a process in which Salar Blanco initially showed interest in participating, according to Codelco documents that Reuters had access to.
