The European Union decided to abandon the silent stance it had maintained on the upcoming elections for the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and called for the delay of this process scheduled for September this year.
According to the Spanish newspaper, El País, the EU’s high representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, sent a letter to Latin American leaders, requesting that this process be postponed, using the Covid-19 pandemic as an argument.
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Although avoiding making a outright rejection of the candidacy of the extreme right-wing Mauricio Claver-Carone, propossed by Trump, the EU representative, points out that this election should be subject to “the necessary care”, which he assures does not currently exist.
This pronouncement arises after the tour of the old continent carried out by Gustavo Béliz, the Argentine candidate for this position, who seeks to stop the rise of the Trump candidate, whose ideological extremism causes fear in the markets.
La región es independiente, soberana y va a tomar sus decisiones con madurez, decisiones que deben ser tomadas por una mayoría, no una minoria.https://t.co/Fmf7Ov4a78
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) August 2, 2020
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The European position got an immediate reaction from the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, who, making use of an unusual sovereignist and non-intervention speech, pointed out to the authorities of the old continent that it will be America that decides.
With this pronouncement, the EU joins the tirade that Trump’s proposal has generated, who despite facing an unwelcoming electoral scenario, decided to propose a candidate very close to his circle for the IDB presidency, breaking with the historical tradition of a verbal agreement, which saved this position for Latin Americans.
Featured image: Spanish diplomat Josep Borell.
Translation: OT/JRE/EF