Cal, I believe that the events in transition in Chile that are possibly leading to nationalization of copper and lithium mining in Chile ( think:  SQM ) have at least some, probably a significant amount, of the reason for LAC being up today at this moment over $2 A share.

https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/battery-metals-investing/lithium-investing/top-lithium-producers/

https://www.mining.com/chile-a-step-closer-to-nationalizing-copper-and-lithium/?utm_source=Daily_Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MNG-DIGESTS&utm_content=chile-a-step-closer-to-nationalizing-copper-and-lithium

https://papertribune.com/politics/a-former-chilean-socialist-minister-considers-delirious-the-nationalization-of-mining-industry/

This movement toward nationalization of mining in Chile just serves as a reminder at how vulnerable mining in South America is to the vicissitudes of political shifts in the wind.  As for Argentina and LAC's operations in Argentina, Argentina is developing strong political and economic ties with both Russia and with China and has done so for years as both of these Eurasian countries seek to enterweave their influence into South America in economical, political and military measures.  Argentina still covets the Falklands:

"The Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas) was a 10-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands."

Russia and China both have indicated that they support Argentina in its continued claim to the Guerra de las Malvinas.  The Bromance between Chile and Russia and the Bromance between Chile and China incorporates a Christmas shopping list from all parties and all 3 parties are salivating at the possibilities of strenghening their relationship.  

List of Nationalizations previously done in Argentina:

Argentina[edit]

• 1946 Central Bank of Argentina
• 1946 Natural gas services (later privatized in 1992)
• 1947 Telephone network (later privatized in 1990)
• 1947 Radio networks (later privatized between 1980 and 1993)
• 1948 Rail transport (privatized between 1991 and 1999)
• 1959 Oil reserves (the state oil enterprise, YPF, had been established in 1922; mineral resources were nationalized with Article 40 of the 1949 Constitution; the latter was abrogated in 1956, but oil was renationalized in 1958 and private firms operated afterward via leases)
• 1949 Port administration (privatized in 1992)
• 1949 Merchant marine (privatized in 1991)
• 1951 LR3 TV Canal 7 (the first and only existing television network in the country at the time; despite not being founded by the state itself, it began as a state-owned venture. It was briefly privatized in 1954 and renationalized in 1955)
• 1952 Buenos Aires Metro (operations privatized in 1994)
• 1958 Electric utilities (privatized in 1992)
• 1974 Television networks (privatized between 1982 and 1998)
• 1980 Austral Líneas Aéreas (privatized in 1987, renationalized in 2008)
• 2003 Postal service renationalized (state-owned between 1949 and 1997)
• 2006 AySA, the water utility serving Buenos Aires (its state-owned precursor, OSN, was established in 1912 and privatized in 1993)
• 2008 Aerolíneas Argentinas renationalized (state-owned between 1949 and 1990)
• 2008 Pension funds (transferred to ANSES)
• 2010 FAdeA (state-owned between 1927 and 1995)
• 2012 YPF renationalized (state-owned between 1922 and 1993)
• 2013 Metrogas (part of the Gas del Estado state-owned enterprise privatized in 1992)
• 2015 Rail transport[1] (renationalization of commuter lines began under the auspices of SOFSE in 2013)[2]

One of the more recent examples was back in 2012 by President Cristina Fernandez:

Ignoring Critics, Argentina To Nationalize Oil Firm

https://www.npr.org/2012/04/19/150959215/ignoring-critics-argentina-to-nationalize-oil-firm

Below are somewhat dated (published in 2018)articles that discuss both Russian and Chinese moves into Argentina.  The goals haven'tchanged much from when these articles were published.  Subesequent events just reinforce the goals of gaining influence and power 

in Argentina by both Russia and China:

https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/05/03/russia-playing-geopolitical-game-in-latin-america-pub-76228

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-argentina-usa-idUSKBN1FS3G6

 A not so dated article is shown below from earlier this year:

"Argentina and China also commemorated the 50th anniversary of their reestablishment of diplomatic relations, declaring 2022 the "year of Argentinian-Chinese friendship and cooperation." 

https://www.dw.com/en/argentina-and-china-seal-silk-road-deal/a-60679278

UK rebukes China for supporting Argentina’s Falklands claim

https://apnews.com/article/europe-china-asia-beijing-xi-jinping-df1ca5eebfd3b988813f22bba0b3a7f0

Russia has eyes on developing military aspirations in South America, as evidenced in this article from January of this year:

https://www.rt.com/russia/547417-putin-military-plans-cuba/

And, of course, the list goes on and on regarding both Chinese and Russian aspirations in South America in general and in Argentina in specific.  The issue of the Malvinas is an unresolved and strategic issue to Argentina and she will look for political, economic and military support on this issue wherever it is offered.  Russia and China are two big donors of that support.

In consdieration of these long term and unresolved political issues in Argentina and in consideration of the instability of political vicissitudes in Argentina over many decades it would seem that Jon Evans decision to form a separation between LAC activities and organizations in Argentina vs LAC mining in the US at Thacker Pass is a remarkably salient and sagacious move on his part. I think Jon has an essential appreciation of just what can happen in the world of Argentinian politics and he knows full well that any LAC mining project proposed at Thacker Pass or anywhere else in the U.S. will not likely proceed to fruition if the U.S. government seens the Chinese or the Russian flag waving in the wind of such a project.  The separation is a necessary move forward in my opinion.

My personal hope is that he doesn't waste any time in putting that proposal for separtion of LAC into two separate entities and that this is accomplished forthwith and without further delay.  JMO

Even the proposal for nationalization of lithium mining in Chile brings up the question:  "Could this happen in Argentina at some point in the future?"  See the list above regarding multiple times Argentina has nationalized an industry.  Petroleum is only one of the latest to befall that fait in Argentina.

Way to go, Jon.  Lets get on with it!

Okiedo