LatinNews Daily - 22 June 2026

*Chile’s state-owned copper company Codelco has announced that it is not considering selling its shares in the El Abra and Quebrada Blanca copper mines, located in the northern regions of Antofagasta and Tarapacá respectively. Codelco issued a statement in response to local press reports that suggested that the new president of Codelco, Bernardo Fontaine, was considering selling Codelco’s shares in the mines. “Neither Codelco’s board of directors nor its president has analysed, discussed, or made any decision regarding the sale of those stakes,” reads the statement, which goes on to say that, “the board and management are currently focused on four strategic pillars: safety; maximising surpluses for the treasury, which involves improving the profitability of operations while avoiding an increase in debt; getting the company’s house in order with a firm hand and transparency; and strengthening sustainability.” Codelco added that in the coming months it will define its strategic plan for the future in which it will evaluate its operational structure, alternative financing, and its portfolio of projects and eventual sale of assets, as well as “other issues relating to the fulfilment of long-term objectives”.