Bolivian foreign minister calls for deeper ties with US over lithium

Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo Carrasco stressed his country's interest in collaborating with the United States on development of the lithium industry. While the US Drug Enforcement Administration has recently returned to the Andean nation, Bolivia hopes to broaden relations with the US beyond security and drug control.

After an 18-year diplomatic freeze, Aramayo met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington in February 2026 to discuss the full restoration of diplomatic relations and the reinstatement of ambassadors.