Reconfiguring dependency: Latin America in the geopolitics of the energy transition and critical minerals

Abstract

The energy transition is central to addressing the climate crisis, yet it also fosters new geopolitical and territorial tensions. As a major supplier of critical minerals for renewable technologies, Latin America occupies a strategic yet constrained position within the world economy. This study analyses the region through the lens of dependency theory, focusing on the interplay among three global poles: the United States and China — dominant manufacturers of cleantech — and Latin America, particularly Brazil, Chile, and Peru, as leading mineral exporters. Methodologically, the paper adopts an analytical and interpretive approach grounded in critical political economy, based on theoretical reflection and documentary analysis of academic and institutional sources. The study examines the economic and ecological implications of the transition, showing how structural inequalities persist despite decarbonisation. The findings indicate that the energy transition constitutes a reconfiguration — rather than a rupture — of historical dependency relations, thereby limiting Latin America’s prospects for greater autonomy in the emerging geopolitical order.