[ad_1]
The United States managed to impose its diplomatic and financial muscle yesterday to elect Mauricio Claver-Carone as the new president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the next five years.
Claver-Carone obtained more than half of the votes among borrowing countries, which are 26, and more than 50 percent of the vote by shares, which corresponds to the 48 countries with capital in the bank.
(We recommend: Interview with Mauricio Claver-Carone)
Consulted sources maintain that the American obtained, in fact, two thirds in both votes. Several countries abstained from voting. Since it is a secret ballot It is not possible, for now, to establish how each country paid.
After months of a controversial candidacy that divided the region, a majority of the member countries of the IDB voted in favor of the American in a virtual meeting in which finally only one candidate appeared and there was no major opposition.
Claver Carone, a Miami-born Cuban-American, is currently the White House’s current National Security Advisor for the Western Hemisphere.
A lawyer by training, the official had previously worked in the Treasury Department and the World Bank.
(Can read: The distance between Claver-Carone and the current IDB president)
In June of this year, the Donald Trump administration sparked controversy by presenting Claver-Carone as a US candidate to replace Colombian Luis Alberto Moreno, who is completing 15 years at the IDB leadership, and whose position expires this year. September 30th.
Throughout its 61 years of existence and thanks to a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ that comes from its foundation, the position of IDB president had fallen to a Latin American, while the vice-presidency was delegated to an American.
But Trump, using the power that the US has by owning 30 percent of the bank’s shares, moved his chips early and managed to add the support of other large countries, like Brazil and Colombia, to add at least 50 percent of the share vote that in practice guaranteed their success.
(Read also: Colombia and 16 other countries rejected postponing the IDB elections at the time)
Some countries openly expressed their opposition, including Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica and Chile. For these, not only was Trump being allowed to destroy a six-decade tradition, but maybe marry an IDB president who might not have the backing of his own government.
This is due to the possibility that Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for the presidential elections in the United States, wins the elections in November and decides to turn his back on Claver-Carone as of January 2021. Something that is possible because it was precisely this official the one that was in charge of ending one of the legacies of the administration of Barack Obama and Biden between 2008 and 2016: the reopening of relations with Cuba after almost 60 years of rupture. This, at the time, was applauded by a majority of countries in the region.
(Context: Biden disagrees with US candidate for IDB)
That’s why opponents of Claver-Carone called for postponing the election until after the US presidential election, but the idea was defeated by Trump and his allies.
There was also talk of the possibility of boycott this Saturday’s appointment if enough countries decide not to participate in a process that requires the presence of at least 75 percent of all its shareholders. But that did not prosper either.
According to sources consulted by this newspaper, many countries preferred to give up the fight rather than challenge Trump and expose themselves to subsequent reprisals. According to the same sources, if the countries that chose to abstain from voting had decided not to participate, the necessary quorum would not have been reached for the election to be legitimate.
Claver-Carone, however, highlights that his candidacy –and election– was very democratic as it ended up being supported by countries in South, Central and North America as well as the Caribbean and Europe.
(We recommend: New IDB leadership to strengthen the Americas / Opinion)
The official has pledged to use the bank as a development engine for the region and a recapitalization of its borrowing capacity, currently valued at some 13 billion dollars, but which has not been expanded for more than ten years. Something that, of course, requires Washington’s approval as it bears 30 percent of any increase in the bill.
For that, however, it will need the support of both the White House and the US Congress. If Trump wins the election and the Republicans maintain control of the Senate, those plans look viable. But if Biden wins and the Democrats retain at least the House of Representatives, his room for maneuver would be reduced.
Sergio Gomez Maseri
EL TIEMPO correspondent in Washington
