WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Monday made the following statement on President Trump’s nominee to lead the Inter-American Development Bank, Mauricio Claver-Carone:

“I’m deeply concerned by the president’s pick to lead the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mauricio Claver-Carone, who is well-known for his hardline views with respect to Cuba and Venezuela policy. The IDB has traditionally been led by someone from a Latin American country, while a U.S. citizen serves as executive vice president, with both roles working in concert to advance the mission of the bank. Mr. Claver-Carone’s nomination to a five-year term—just before the U.S. presidential elections—is a breach of precedent that would lock in place for half a decade someone who is potentially out of step with the next administration and would threaten the IDB’s governance and effectiveness moving forward,” said Murphy. “As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I generally believe that the U.S. President deserves reasonable deference in choosing and nominating qualified personnel, but I have serious concerns about the timing of this nomination and subsequent consequences for U.S. foreign policy. The administration should hit pause on this nomination.”

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