Remi Piet: You Don’t Want to Lag Behind in Bolivia

Bolivia is a country facing massive change, with the situation on the ground in the Andean country shifting each day since a disputed presidential election on October 20.

Incumbent (and now former) President Evo Morales initially faced a runoff election that was kiboshed by a result that was disputed — he was declared to have won outright in a move that triggered massive unrest around the country.

Morales has now resigned from the presidency, fleeing to Mexico and away from almost 14 years in charge of one of Latin America’s poorest nations.

In an interview with the Investing News Network (INN) on Tuesday (November 12), Senior Director at Americas Market Intelligence Remi Piet said that the result of the unrest could be what’s effectively an all-new jurisdiction in Latin America with a lot of potential in copper, silver and lithium.

“(Bolivia) is one jurisdiction where you don’t want to be the last one to jump on board,” he said.

Whether you jump on board is dependent on what the next few weeks and months bring about for the country though, said Piet, who gave his two cents on what investors should be thinking about when looking at the country.

In brief, Piet said that major companies with interests and experience in Latin America — like Pan American Silver (TSX:PAAS,NASDAQ:PAAS) and First Majestic Silver (TSX:FR,NYSE:AG) — should (and probably will) be monitoring the situation. For their part, minor companies should be watching the majors, and individual investors should wait and see — and be ready.

Regardless of who becomes president next (anti-Morales politician Jeanine Áñez has been named as acting president), Piet said that across the entire political spectrum, attitudes to mining are positive.

“All of the political spectrum are pro-mining candidates in their attempts to generate mining investment and foreign currency where they export minerals out of the country.”

Piet noted that if any of the right-wing parties take power, it could well become a situation where “we’re very likely to see Bolivia as a new Ecuador.”

That is, Bolivia could potentially reform itself into a country that invites foreign investment, and become a darling of the resources industry.

The situation in Bolivia is, as previously mentioned, rapidly changing. This interview with Piet was conducted before Áñez became acting president, and the future election to replace her is yet to be locked in, though it will need to be soon.

Listen to the full interview above for Piet’s uncondensed thoughts on the situation in Bolivia. INN and Piet have also talked about Bolivia in two previously published interviews on October 22 and October 28.

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!

Securities Disclosure: I, Scott Tibballs, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.