Reps. Torres, Lee Call Foul as Trump Nominates Political Ally for Key Foreign Aid Position
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and Barbara Lee (CA-13) today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressing deep concerns and urging reconsideration of the Trump Administration's nominee to be the next president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mauricio Claver-Carone.
Mr. Claver-Carone would be the first president of the IDB – an institution intended to bolster stability in Latin America – who is not from the region.
The lawmakers' letter reads, in part:
Mr. Claver-Carone's nomination breaks from a 60-year precedent that a Latin American serve as President of the IDB. The Trump Administration has chosen for the first time ever to overlook talented and accomplished leadership from within Latin American and the Caribbean, instead putting forward a partisan political appointee. For decades, the United States has sought to elevate and strengthen self-reliance and local leadership in Latin America. This nomination seemingly ignores the many qualified candidates from our Western Hemisphere partner countries.
The lawmakers released the following statements:
"For 60 years, the president of the IDB has been someone from Latin America – someone who knew firsthand of the challenges the IDB is meant to address," Rep. Torres said. "If we allow the IDB to be run by a partisan plant, we can only expect that its mission will become partisan too. At a time when COVID-19 is sewing economic and political uncertainty across the globe, the last thing we should do is further undermine stabilizing institutions like the IDB."
"I am deeply concerned that the Trump Administration has decided to nominate Trump Administration senior official Mauricio Claver-Carone for the presidency of the IDB," Congresswoman Lee said. "Claver-Carone is an architect of some of President Trump's most ideological policies in the Americas, and this move risks undermining the institution of the IDB. Most importantly, the Trump Administration has chosen for the first time ever to overlook talented and accomplished leadership from within Latin American and the Caribbean. The vote is set to come at a time of economic chaos and political uncertainty. The global economy is roiling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Latin America and the Caribbean will need steady and experienced leadership at the IDB to aid in the region's recovery. I urge the President to reconsider this decision."
The lawmakers' letter is co-signed by U.S. Representatives Nita Lowey (NY-17), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), David Price (NC-04), Jim McGovern (MA-07) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05).
The full text of the letter is available here.
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