Codelco CEO vows to pursue community buy-in over lithium expansion

Chile's State-run miner Codelco has made progress in negotiating with local communities over lithium mining and will keep working to win their support, CEO Ruben Alvarado said on Tuesday, a day after several groups in the Atacama salt flat broke off talks.

The world's top copper producer has been in dialogue with indigenous groups on the details of a new, state-mandated joint venture in the Atacama salt flat with Chile's SQM, one of two lithium miners in the country.