An aerial photograph shows the old Serra Pelada gold mine in Curionopolis, Brazil, in September. The mine, considered the largest artisanal open-pit mine in Brazil's history, aims to resume its previous operations. However, challenges such as disputes among miners, substantial debt and environmental regulations are complicating this goal. File Photo by Isaac Fontana/EPA
SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Latin America holds about 40% of the world's copper reserves and 60% of global lithium brine resources, but regulatory challenges, infrastructure gaps and financing constraints threaten the region's ability to become a leading producer of critical minerals in the coming years, credit rating agency Moody's said.
The region, particularly Chile, Peru, Argentina and Brazil, also has significant deposits of nickel, graphite and rare earth elements. Despite that potential, Moody's said structural bottlenecks, technical challenges and macroeconomic and regulatory uncertainty continue to hinder the sector's development.
Moody's is a major global credit‑rating and financial‑risk analysis firm that evaluates the creditworthiness of countries, companies and sectors, issuing assessments that influence how easily they can attract investment and borrow money.
