Crime lords threaten Mexico's lithium wealth: Mexico's first lithium mine could be the nation's insurance that it will profit from the global energy transition, or be evidence that it can't handle the mining business. The firm in charge seems to be ignoring challenges that, if left unaddressed, could make Mexico miss out on a chance of a lifetime

OVER A DECADE AGO, the country celebrated when a firm spotted 800,000 tonnes of lithium in the ground of central Mexico, but it wasn't prepared for the lucky strike that was to come. In 2014, minerals company Bacanora Minerals Ltd hit the jackpot by locating reserves 10 times this size.