President-elect Donald Trump has announced the appointment of Mauricio Claver-Carone as Special Envoy for Latin America at the U.S. State Department, reigniting attention on the controversial figure who was ousted from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) following allegations of misconduct.
Claver-Carone's prior role as president of the IDB came to an abrupt end in September 2022 when an independent investigation, catalyzed by an anonymous whistleblower, found he had an intimate relationship with a staffer. The report also found that Claver-Carone had misused bank funds and policies, though evidence of intentional misconduct on travel expenses and internal card policies remained inconclusive.
Both Claver-Carone and the woman, referred to throughout the process as J.B., refused to cooperate fully with the investigation, declining to provide relevant documents or participate in interviews. Claver-Carone has consistently denied the allegations, criticizing the investigative process and labeling it as lacking transparency.
A sprawling piece by El Pais from September 2022, days before the final verdict from the governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) revealed Claver-Carone's issues with the report further:
"The president (Claver-Carone), in his statement, said that 'the investigative process failed to meet international standards of integrity that both the IDB and the region strive to exemplify.' He also took issue with the fact that the process was based on an anonymous complaint. Claver-Carone said he was not given an opportunity to review the final report, which "as expected" does not corroborate the claims, he said"
However, the report claims that several employees had suffered reprisals within the bank for talking about the relationship and many workers expressed fear of suffering some type of retaliation.
Trump praised Claver-Carone as a staunch advocate for U.S. interests in the region and highlighted his experience, including his tenure as Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs in his first administration:
I am pleased to announce Mauricio Claver-Carone as the State Department’s Special Envoy for Latin America. Mauricio has served in many important roles, including the White House, as my Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Over the last four years, chaos and anarchy…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 22, 2024
Prior to the controversies that ultimately led to his firing at the IDB, Claver-Carone was known for his hardline stance against Cuba and Venezuela and his advocacy for curbing Chinese influence in Latin America, as Infobae points out. He proposed measures to penalize countries in the region using Chinese-owned infrastructure for trade, a policy he argued would bolster U.S. strategic interests.
He is also known to have close ties with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, whom Trump has chosen as the next U.S. Secretary of State.
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