Trump Despite Alleged Affair Scandal Selects Former Bank President As Latin America Envoy

Trump has appointed former bank president Mauricio Claver-Carone as his envoy to Latin America, despite his controversial ouster and previous misbehavior claims.

On Sunday, Donald Trump, the next president, declared his intention to designate Mauricio Claver-Carone as his special envoy to Latin America. A pivotal role during Trump’s first term in office, which ran from 2017 to 2021, Claver-Carone is anticipated to concentrate on tackling the region’s drug-smuggling and migration issues.

Trump expressed confidence in Claver-Carone’s ability to achieve US aims in Latin America and said on social media that he “knows the region and how to put America’s interests FIRST.”

The appointment of Claver-Carone has a tainted past. After a 2022 inquiry revealed that he had an affair with a subordinate—a charge he has repeatedly denied—he was fired as president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). During his tenure, he was accused of fostering a hostile work environment, according to the report.

Notwithstanding the issue, Claver-Carone is notable for being the first American to head the IDB, a role that has historically been shaped by Latin American superpowers such as Brazil and Argentina. In his capacity as head, he aimed to change the bank’s emphasis by giving smaller countries more influence over its operations and lessening the power of bigger member states. Despite his baggage, his background at the IDB and in the region makes him a strategic pick.

Although Claver-Carone’s contentious past may rise to controversy surrounding the selection, it is unclear if Claver-Carone’s leadership will produce the outcomes Trump wants.