MINERÍA la mejor puerta de acceso al sector minero EDICIÓN 576 / SEPTIEMBRE 2025 48 firmado en 2024 entre EE.UU. y Perú busca específicamente fomentar la inversión y la innovación tecnológica en el sector minero peruano. La Unión Europea, a través de su Ley de Materias Primas Críticas (CRMA), también busca activamente diversificar sus importaciones lejos de China, estableciendo asociaciones estratégicas y modernizando acuerdos comerciales, como el que tiene con Chile, para asegurar el acceso al litio y otros minerales esenciales. La encrucijada estratégica: ¿Colonialismo Mineral 2.0 o Soberanía de Valor? América Latina y el Perú se encuentran en una encrucijada histórica (Figura 7). Un camino, el de la inacción o la estrategia pasiva, conduce a una forma moderna de dependencia económica: el "Colonialismo Mineral 2.0". En este modelo, la región se limita a exportar materias primas con bajo valor agregado, mientras que la mayor parte de la riqueza se genera en las etapas de procesamiento y manufactura, controladas por otras naciones. Los datos son elocuentes: América Latina produce el 38.7% del cobre de mina del mundo, pero solo el 10.8% del cobre refinado. El concentrado se envía masivamente a China, que refina el 45% del cobre mundial, y luego retorna a la región y al mundo como productos de alto valor, capturando la mayor parte del margen económico (Figura 7). El otro camino no es el proteccionismo aislacionista, que ha demostrado ser inviable —los intentos de formar un "cártel del cobre" al estilo de la OPEP han fracasado Fuente: USGS y CSIS. Figura 7. Reservas de cobre, producción minera y capacidad de refino por región en 2024. Figure 7. Copper Reserves, Mining Production, and Refining Capacity by Region 2024. resource sovereignty. In the 21st century, the real power lies not in the ownership of the mineral, but in the control of the high-value nodes in the supply chain. Value Sovereignty implies a proactive policy to move up that chain with three lines of action: 1. Fostering Added Value: Investing decisively in the construction of modern smelters and refineries. The region has a latent competitive advantage in this area: the carbon footprint of processing in Latin America, using its increasingly cleaner energy matrix, is lower than in Asia. Moreover, the transport of refined cathodes is less emissions-intensive than that of ore concentrates, a factor that is increasingly relevant in a global market that demands traceability and sustainability. 2. Boosting Innovation: Promoting and adopting cutting-edge technologies. Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE), for example, promises to drastically reduce water consumption and environmental impact in salt flats. Secondary mining, which consists of the recovery of valuable minerals from tailings and old mine waste, represents not only a new source of supply, but also a Circular Economy that contributes to environmental remediation. 3. Governance and Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage: Align mineral development strategy with the highest standards of governance, such as those articulated in the IIMP Decalogue. Integrity, transparency, social and environmental responsibility, and respect for human rights are not mere compliance costs. They are prerequisites for attracting high-quality investment from the West, operating under demanding regulatory frameworks such as CRMA, and are fundamental to maintaining the social license to operate in a stable and predictable manner. By developing refining and manufacturing capabilities, a country like Peru not only captures more economic value but increases its strategic relevance. It moves from being an easily substitutable "resource field" to a "strategic partner" with indispensable assets for the U.S. and European supply chains, thus gaining bargaining power and resilience. Conclusion and Call to Action: An Agenda for Peru's Mineral Future The "Mineral Iceberg" analysis reveals an inescapable reality: the magnitude of opportunity and risk faced by Latin America and Peru is far greater than commonly perceived. The confluence of four global transitions - energy, digital, security and socio-demographic - is generating a structural demand for minerals that positions the region at the center of the 21st century
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