Trump's controversial appointment: who is Mauricio Claver-Carone, the appointed Special Envoy for Latin America?

US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday appointed Mauricio Claver-Carone as the future Special Envoy for Latin America. It is a controversial appointment, since in the past he was involved in a scandal that ended with his dismissal from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in 2022, when he was serving as president of the institution; he harshly criticized Trump for the events of January 6; and lashed out at Argentinean President Javier Milei. He is very close to the US president-elect and a staunch ally of the United States, and two important government officials of the South American country.

Previously, Claver-Carone served as Senior Advisor for International Affairs at the US Treasury Department between 2017 and 2018, then as executive director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), representing the North American country on the Executive Board, and in September 2018 he was appointed Special Assistant to then President Trump as director of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council.

It should be noted that Claver-Carone is not "MAGA" and is from the entourage of US Senator and future Secretary of State of the Trump Administration Marco Rubio.

In fact, in 2020, Senator Rubio celebrated Claver-Carone's appointment as president of the IDB. He "comes at a crucial time when our hemisphere is in need of bold leadership. As Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the US National Security Council, Claver-Carone faithfully served our nation with the highest respect and integrity as he advanced policies that promoted our interests and supported our allies in ensuring regional stability. I have no doubt he will continue to work tirelessly to promote economic development and prosperity in Latin America," Rubio said at the time.

It should also be noted that although the State Department has the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, it is a position that requires confirmation by the Senate, in contrast to the position of Special Envoy for Latin America, which would not require such confirmation.

US officials consulted by VOZ expressed doubts as to whether Claver-Carone could win Senate confirmation following his controversial departure from the IDB.

Claver-Carone's scandal at the IDB

Claver-Carone was fired from the IDB after being accused of maintaining an intimate relationship with Jessica Bedoya, who was his Chief of Staff and with whom he had also worked at the White House Security Council.

The governors of the entity voted in favor of his dismissal as the relationship he maintained with Bedoya violated the institution's code of conduct.

Both Claver-Carone and Jessica Bedoya refused to cooperate with the investigation and retaliated, including firings, against IDB employees who spoke to David Polk, from the law firm in charge of the investigation.

The investigation determined that Claver-Carone had misused funds to favor Bedoya. In fact, according to the findings, the alleged mistress was granted two pay raises that increased her income by 40% during the pandemic.

Claver-Carone always denied the intimate relationship with Bedoya.

Trump harshly criticized for January 6 events

Following the events of January 6, 2021, when a crowd of Americans stormed Congress following the victory of Joe Biden over Donald Trump in the presidential election, Claver-Carone, instead of defending the current president-elect for the harsh criticism he was receiving, stated that he was deeply "disappointed by what happened."

In an email sent to the "IDB Newsletter List," he stated, "I wanted to share a brief message after the events in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021. As a life-long advocate of freedom and democracy, I was deeply saddened and disappointed by what occurred, and sickened by the violence at the US Capitol."

"I believe that this is a moment of somber reflection for all Americans, who must come together to safeguard and preserve the institutions of democracy," Claver-Carone added.

The then-IDB president also suggested that Trump does not respect the values of democracy. "We all play a role in protecting and promoting the principles of freedom and transparency and the peaceful transition of power. Those values are at the core of the work that we do day to day," he wrote.

"Let’s all support each other, stay safe, and take the time to reconnect with our most fundamental values.

Harsh criticism of Milei

In an interview with Uruguay's El Observador newspaper in mid-2024, Claver-Carone lashed out harshly at Argentine President Javier Milei, whom he accused of implementing "Peronist" policies in the economic sphere, a reference to the political movement around the figure of the late leader Juan Domingo Perón and which tend to be populist in tendency.

Claver-Carone also argued that there are Peronists who are part of Milei's government, whom he harshly criticized for artificially propping up the value of the peso.

Likewise, the official has maintained a confrontation with the president Milei's Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos since the IDB scandal broke out, Argentine newspaper La Nación reported. Last year, Claver-Carone called Milei's official "the worst of the Argentine political caste," according to Argentine news website iProfesional.

Claver-Carone also harshly criticized Argentine Economy Minister Luis Caputo, whom he described as "more of the same" and accused him of squandering Argentina's reserves, iProfesional reported.