Most Latin American countries support President Donald Trump's nomination of Mauricio Claver-Carone to be the first American to lead the Inter-American Development Bank, Acting Assistant Secretary for the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, said in a conference call on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd September, 2020) Most Latin American countries support President Donald Trump's nomination of Mauricio Claver-Carone to be the first American to lead the Inter-American Development Bank, Acting Assistant Secretary for the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Michael Kozak, said in a conference call on Tuesday.
"Most of the Latin countries... they're supporting Mauricio and some of them have co-nominated him," Kozak said.
Mauricio currently leads Latin America policy at the US National Security Council.
Kozak said Claver will help bring new energy and some of the best economic experts to the IDB to refocus efforts to spur economic growth in the region.
Colombia, Brazil and 15 other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean support Mauricio's nomination, according to media reports. Other nations, such as Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica have criticized Mauricio's nomination, fearing the Trump administration will undermine the institution as countries seek to recover from the economic impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The Inter-American Development Bank provides about $13 billion for countries throughout the region every year.
Kozak denied reports that the EU has supported delaying the election due to COVID-19, adding that it has no role in the Latin American region. Kozak said there's a handful of Latin American countries that want to delay the election but have not presented an alternative option.
In July, the IDB's Board of Executive Directors announced that the election of president will take place on September 12 and 13.
