The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) appointed a new president yesterday: Ian Goldfajn, 56 years old. The Brazilian economist, who will assume the position for five years, had the support of Uruguay, one of the 48 member countries of the financial organization. The candidate was proposed by the outgoing President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaroafter the scandal dismissal of Cuban-American Mauricio Claver-Carone.

goldfajn was the favourite, after Argentina announced the withdrawal of its candidate, Cecilia Todesca, and its support for the Brazilian in a coalition also formed by the United States and Canada. The neighboring country has negotiated to retain three positions for the new authorities, including one of the vice-presidencies of the bank, IDB and Argentinian government sources confirmed to La Nación.

The appointment was made at an extraordinary meeting of the Bank’s Board of Governors. The meeting was held at IDB headquarters in Washington, United States, with face-to-face and virtual participants, the agency reported.

To win the election, the “candidate must obtain the majority of the total votes allocated to the member countries of the Union IDB (48), as well as the support of at least 15 of the 28 regional member countries (26 borrowing member countries, plus Canada and the United States),” the financial body said.

The vote was not made public but, according to EFE, the Brazilian economist received the support of at least 80% of the participants in the Board of Governors.

He will take office on December 19. Habrá a “periodo de transición” where the actual president, Honduran Reina Irene Mejía, took part, who replaced Claver-Carone because he was expelled from the institution for a love affair with a subordinada, where he suffered and suffered several times.

Goldfajn maintains political impartiality and has assured that he has the support of the country, despite the fact that President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has not publicly granted it to him.

He has extensive experience in the banking sector, both public and private, having served as Chief Economist and Partner at Itaú, the largest private bank in Latin America. In the private sector, he has also had experience, both as an economist and as a partner, in entities such as Credit Suisse Brasil, Ciano Investimentos and Gávea Investimentos.

He served as president of the Central Bank of Brazil between 2016 and 2019 after being appointed to the position by then-president Michel Temer.