Develando los secretos de las tierras raras

Compendio de entrevistas, geoconferencia y datos clave para entender la configuración de la tecnología del futuro

Abstract

Summary of the radio interview on “Rare Earths: what they are and the case of Ukraine”

On the occasion of the latest statements by the US president about military aid to Ukraine in exchange for the supply of Rare Earths, the journalist and broadcaster Román Lozinski contacted the internationalist Luis Angarita and the undersigned, to talk about the topic, within two notorious areas: geopolitics and geominerals, respectively. On this basis, topics such as what are Rare Earths? Where are they located and what are their uses? were approached. The great diversity of industrial applications was also discussed, including the armament industry and a possible trade war that the US could face with the major producer of rare earths, China, in addition to the concept of “blackmail diplomacy”. Furthermore, it is recommended to carry out geological exploration campaigns in the Guayana Shield to confirm the possible existence of Rare Earth deposits in our country, due to its analogy with the Baltic Shield, where rapakivi-type granites from the Middle Proterozoic outcrop in both.

Summary of the interview "Rare Earths in China in the context of the tariff war"

The global geopolitical environment has become more strained by the implementation of tariffs since last February 2025, by executive orders of the President of the United States of America (USA), as part of protectionist trade policies for his country and which has involved Rare Earths, where China, as the other commercial power, has great influence in the global market by being at the top of the world in resources and reserves with 44 Mt, as well as leading with 85% participation in refining and manufacturing with the production of chips and components. This paper summarizes the history of the discovery of the 17 Rare Earth elements and their importance in shaping future technology in areas as diverse as cutting-edge medical devices, sophisticated defense systems, fiber optic amplifiers, powerful electromagnets, more efficient electric vehicle motors, and high-performance wind turbines. Similarly, it provides an overview of how global rare earth production is distributed. However, since their extraction is concentrated in very few countries, this creates a high level of vulnerability in global supply chains. It is also reported where evidence of Rare Earths has been reported in the Guayana region such as Cerro Impacto and Cerro Boquerones, two locations in the Cedeño municipality and Florencita, a cerium phosphate, detected south of San Salvador de Paul, Angostura municipality, all in the state of Bolívar, for which it will be necessary to carry out responsible prospecting campaigns to detect possible existing anomalies and their potential, with an environmentally committed development, in order to reduce their ecological footprint and maximize their positive contribution to sustainability.

Rare Earths: a critical resource for the technological future

Last Tuesday, April 29, 2025, within the scope of the monthly geoconference of the Venezuelan Society of Geologists (SVG, by its Spanish acronym), which is held virtually, a topic of current geopolitical interest was presented entitled "Rare Earths: a critical resource for the technological future" and was oriented towards the geosciences public. This presentation was framed within a summary of the concepts expressed in the two previous radio interviews, broadcast on February 5, 2025, and April 18, 2025, where emphasis was placed on the uses of these elements in the various components in the many cutting-edge devices that are used daily and their importance in shaping the technology of the future. In addition, the distribution of global Rare Earth production was reported, including among emerging nations, as well as countries with the largest mineral resources and reserves. The case of Ukraine, its resources and agreements with the United States of America (USA) for mineral exploitation, the new discoveries of Rare Earth deposits on the Scandinavian Peninsula, and the presumed potential deposits of these elements in the Venezuelan Guayana region were also discussed, with some examples. Finally, some considerations about vulnerability in global supply chains and limitations to technological progress for countries that do not have Rare Earth deposits are addressed.