Watcher, page-14

After the recent Presidential elections where Bolic was elected by a clear majority, Chile faces two alternative Boric scenarios.Under President Boric I, the new president will be faithful to his initial proposed program of government and will: 1)support extreme constitutional proposals and 2) adopt the necessary changes that will emulate a Venezuelan model. As a result,Chile will suffer decreases in employment, real wages, capital plus GNP contraction. International investment will eventually come to a halt.
Under President Boric II, the new president will take a more moderate turn towards a social democratic government model, with a package of reforms and policies addressing his voter base’s needs while still achieving modest annual GNP growth. International investment will be permitted but taxed and regulated more heavily. I feel optimistic that President Boric II will be the option that the new government adopts. He has already named some respected bureaucrats in some key posts which have brought some tranquility to the country and strengthen somewhat the Chilean peso.
Still, the proverbial elephant in the china shop is the Constitutional assembly. They had a deadline of 2/2/22 but it has been extended until 9/22. Some of the proposals are absolutely crazy such as giving 16 year old Chileans the right to vote (proposal #246).Another worrisome trend is giving the 13 Native nations rights over their “Ancestral territories”(proposal #74) to include mining, forestry and hydroelectric projects plus assured Senate seats (Proposal #289) for these groups. If there is some consolidation, Proposal #207 which called for the elimination of Free Enterprise has been eliminated from consideration. Algo es algo.
Because I have decided to bet on Boric II and continue to appreciate LPI's Australian Li. resources, I have changed my status which now reflects a modest LPI investment. Again, do your own DD. I am simple expressing my opinion regarding a very complex situation which goes well beyond the usual typical investment dynamics.