SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Wednesday named Aurora Williams his new mining minister, amid a cabinet reshuffle in the world’s largest copper producing nation as the government looks to push through key reforms.
Williams, who will replace Marcela Hernando, held the same position during the 2014-18 administration of former President Michelle Bachelet.
“I invite the ministers to consolidate our national lithium policy and to continue to maintain Chile’s global mining leadership,” Boric said in a ceremony, highlighting its role in reducing poverty and inequality.
“I would have liked this cabinet change to take place in a different political climate,” he added, calling on political parties to resume talks over the progression of proposed tax and pension reforms.
Chile’s mining sector is seeing a dramatic overhaul since the government announced a plan in April to boost state control on the country’s vast lithium reserves, seen as key to the transition away from fossil fuels.
Boric has suffered major legislative defeats in Congress, though his lithium reform largely does not require legislative approval. Talks with private lithium miners are set to be led by state miner Codelco.
Codelco has meanwhile faced months of declining copper output and warned that this year’s output should be lower than expected, following a series of weather and operational problems.
(Reporting by Fabian Cambero and Natalia Ramos; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Nick Macfie)
