Snapshot: On 10 January 2022, the regional government of Atacama and the Aymara and Diaguita Indigenous communities, filed a writ of protection against the Ministry of Mining in the Court of Appeals of Copiapo, Chile. They contested the lithium production bidding process, citing a lack of public participation and environmental impact assessment. The government highlighted risks to biodiversity, water scarcity, wetlands, and cultural heritage in the Atacama Salt Flats. The Ministry argued that contracts had already been awarded and that it was the successful bidders' responsibility to obtain necessary permits. On 14 January 2022, the Court suspended the contracts while the writ of protection is pending. In June and July 2022, the claimants withdrew their claims, as the Chilean Supreme Court had already annulled the lithium bidding process in another legal case. The case is closed.