Exposed: HPX/Ivanhoe Atlantic falsely claims to be Liberia’s link to MCC Compact, misleading officials with lobbying power that doesn’t exist
- Talafah T. Tabolo
- 33 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Insights Staff Writer
Claims circulating in Monrovia that the U.S. mining company, High Power Exploration (HPX)/Ivanhoe Atlantic, holds the key to Liberia’s newest Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact worth more than $500 million are a serious political fabrication. Over the past few weeks, a team of investigators undertook a bold mission with one purpose: to uncover a web of lies hidden within corporate tunnels of deep state conspiracy.
An investigation into HPX/Ivanhoe Atlantic’s multilateral overseas investments and other activities in Africa reveals that the company is capitalizing on the information gap prevalent among public officials and ordinary citizens regarding how lobbying in the US operates in conjunction with corporations and foreign governments. There is evidence that HPX relies on the surface credibility of its public filings to create the illusion of influence and legitimacy in foreign jurisdictions, including Liberia. This appearance is then used to pressure both the executive and the Legislature, despite its actions being driven by private commercial aims rather than any commitment to Liberia’s interests.
A deeper problem lies in the assumptions held by many Liberian public officials—HPX is a power broker. It can influence many things, including the approval of Liberia’s MCC Compact as well as the imposition of financial and political sanctions on officials who oppose it.
Additionally, HPX is also taking advantage of a widespread belief that a company perceived as American automatically enjoys protection from Washington. Many fear that resisting HPX’s demands could trigger political pressure from the United States. Whether or not these assumptions are correct, Liberia’s infrastructure future hangs in the balance of a well-organized multilateral criminal syndicate that could see the geopolitical and economic disruption from a traditional ally, driven by corporate greed and manipulation.
The assertion that HPX can buy or influence the Compact decision lacks logical, institutional, and legal foundation. The MCC grant is governed by the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, which requires that eligibility be determined through objective performance indicators. No amount of private spending disclosed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) can override a country’s governance metrics.
The only legitimate channel for shaping Compact policy is the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing made by the Republic of Liberia in June 2024, under which a state-funded agent advances Liberia’s national priorities.
By comparison, the HPX LDA filing is a commercial detour. This document, filed by the firm Yorktown Solutions, is legally restricted to lobbying on the “geopolitical importance of iron ore” and the Nimba–Buchanan corridor, areas tied directly to its private interests. The filing does not mention the MCC Compact, and there is no public record in Washington showing that HPX has lobbied on Liberia’s behalf.
The HPX narrative is refuted by history and geography. Liberia previously received and successfully implemented a Compact (2016-2021) long before HPX had established its current presence.
Furthermore, numerous other countries, such as Senegal, Malawi, and Côte d'Ivoire, have been selected for Compacts without any HPX presence. The company’s focus on Liberia—the transit state—instead of Guinea or DRC, where its primary assets lie, reveals a narrow commercial goal: preying on the gullibility of the Liberian society to achieve its multi-user rail agenda!
The central risk is that HPX is manipulating a distorted picture of American power. It turns a legal disclosure requirement into a psychological tool, suggesting that resistance to its demands could be viewed as opposition to U.S. interests. This implication raises the spectre of political scrutiny or pressure on officials who refuse to comply.
The behavior of HPX/Ivanhoe Atlantic amounts to political arbitrage—the use of information and legal imbalance for private gain. Instead of contributing to Liberia’s development, the company is exploiting public misunderstanding and official vulnerability to secure its strategic and financial interests, using Liberia’s hard-won Compact eligibility as leverage for its own commercial advancement.
__________________________________
Get Involved
Do you have additional facts to add to this insight or an opinion you would like to express?
Email Us
Comments