Trump Nominee to Head Latin America Development Bank

President Trump's nominee Mauricio Claver-Carone has been elected to lead Latin America's top development bank.

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is the region's primary economic development lender, said Al Jazeera.

Claver-Carone is Trump's senior Latin America adviser. But his win as the development bank's head sparked some criticism from some countries in Latin America.

He will take office in October. His single term will last for five years.

He would be the first American to lead the bank. It broke the norm for the IDB president to come from the region, sparking the criticism.

Latin American countries are not the only ones to question his headship. Development groups and the European Union were also critics.

"A Passionate Advocate"

Before voting, he told the bank governors that he would be "a passionate advocate" of the bank and its staff and the region.

During an electronic meeting with votes for at least 15 of the 28 regional member nations, the voting was done, said a Bloomberg report.

As per the National Security Council, Claver-Carone won with 30 votes, 23 of which are from the region. It makes up 66.8% of the total. There are 48 governors in the banks.

Three sources familiar with the vote told Reuters that 16 countries abstained.

Politico noted that with Trump's pick in the development bank, his influence on the region is solidified whether he wins or loses the U.S. election in November.

Argentina chose to abstain in protest and urged other nations to join it. Meanwhile, Mexico, Chile, and Costa Rica urged a delay in the election. They did not get enough backing to do so.

They said the countries lacked the right amount of time to debate the bank's future because of COVID-19.

Not Just Tradition

A report from The Economist said that the nomination was not just a hot topic because of its break from tradition. A Latin American diplomat said it was also because Claver-Carone "would bring ideology directly into the bank."

Sources described him as "arrogant and confrontational."

But the new head said time after time that he would stay away from partisan politics. He added that he welcomes criticism of his nomination as a chance to draw attention to the bank.

He said he is still committed to working with the bank's member countries. The plan for his term is to outline a strategy in strengthening the bank and respond to the region's needs.

He also wanted to "create opportunities for shared prosperity and economic growth."

Some U.S. officials congratulated Claver-Carone through statements: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo.

He will be taking over the position of Luis Alberto Moreno, who was a former Colombian ambassador to the U.S.

Moreno served the IDB for 15 years.

The IDB is the primary source of funds for development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Countries in this region are part of it, Europe, the U.S., Canada, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and China.

It lends over $10 billion per year. These funds go to social and infrastructure programs.

It is seen as key to finance the Latina American region's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

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