South America in the face of the hegemonic narratives of critical minerals and the Corporate Energy Transition

Abstract

This article analyzes, from a South American critical perspective, how global actors dispute and shape hegemonic narratives surrounding critical minerals and the so-called Corporate Energy Transition. Using an exploratory methodology and a mixed-methods approach that combines analysis of reports from international organizations, bibliographic review, and the author’s previous work, the study examines the geopolitical nature of these minerals within the context of the global energy transition. The findings show that, under a discourse of decarbonization, the corporate energy transition reproduces a form of “green neocolonialism,” shifting dependence from fossil fuels to a multidimensional dependence on critical minerals, thereby deepening neo-extractivism in the Global South. In this context, the article argues that South America faces the challenge of redefining the use and control of its strategic resources, overcoming subordinate positions and orienting the energy transition according to its own development priorities.