A Conversation with Luis Alberto Moreno

On September 29, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted a wide-ranging conversation with Luis Alberto Moreno, the outgoing president of the Inter-American Development Bank, in recognition of his productive collaboration with the Dialogue and his contributions to our mission for more than two decades. Over 45 Dialogue members convened to listen to Moreno's perspectives as he reached the end of his 15 years as president of the IDB. Participants included Enrique V. Iglesias, former president of the IDB; Martín Torrijos, former president of Panama; Luis Guillermo Solís, former president of Costa Rica; Tom Shannon, co-chair of the Inter-American Dialogue; and Carla A. Hills, chair emeritus of the Dialogue, among others. Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, moderated the conversation.

In his opening remarks, Moreno shared his thoughts on the current and future challenges facing the region in light of Covid-19. He also reflected on the changes that Washington, DC and the Inter-American system have undergone since he first arrived as Colombia’s ambassador to the United States in 1998.

In response to questions, Moreno reviewed his main accomplishments during his IDB presidency, as well as areas where he wished the bank would have made further progress. He addressed the recent economic shifts in the region as well as the feasibility of financial recovery plans amidst the pandemic. He also touched on the evolving relationships between the bank and its member countries and the rise of IDB-China cooperation. Finally, Moreno discussed the push towards transparency reform in the region and reflected on his possible next steps.

This conversation was private and off-the-record.

PARTICIPANTS LIST

Sebastián Acha, Paraguay

Bernard Aronson, United States

Alicia Bárcena, Mexico

Rebecca Bill Chavez, United States

Bruno Binetti, Argentina

Catalina Botero, Colombia

Enrique Carrizosa, Colombia

Juan Carlos Carvallo, Venezuela

Julieta Castellanos, Honduras

Roberto Murray Meza, El Salvador

Fernando Cepeda, Colombia

Eugenio Clariond Reyes, Mexico

Luiz Fernando Furlan, Brazil

L. Enrique García, Bolivia

Diego García-Sayán, Peru

José E. Gonzales, Peru

Gustavo Grobocopatel, Argentina

Carla A. Hills, United States

Earl Jarrett, Jamaica

Enrique V. Iglesias, Uruguay

Jim Kolbe, United States

Paula Moreno, Colombia

Salvador Paiz, Guatemala

Beatriz Paredes Rangel, Mexico

Pierre Pettigrew, Canada

Jacqueline Pitanguy, Brazil

Alfonso Prat-Gay, Argentina

Guillermo Rishchynski, Canada

María Luisa Romero, Panama

Andrés Rozental, Mexico

Thomas A. Shannon, Jr., United States

Ana Salas Siegel, United States

Luis Guillermo Solís, Costa Rica

Matias Spektor, Brazil

Maria Fernanda Teixeira, Brazil

Roberto Teixeira da Costa, Brazil

Martín Torrijos, Panama

Héctor Castro Vizcarra, Mexico