Bolivia | President, Council of International Relations for Latin America
Former Planning Minister of Bolivia, Former Executive President of CAF - Development Bank of Latin America
Enrique García was executive president of CAF, a regional multilateral financial institution that brings 19 countries together (17 from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal) for 25 years, between December 1991 and March 2017. Before his election as President of CAF, he was the minister of planning and coordination and chief of the Economic and Social Cabinet of Bolivia (1989-1991) and Undersecretary of Planning and member of the Board of the Central Bank (1975-1978). García served as an officer of the Inter-American Development Bank for 17 years. During his tenure, he held several high-ranking positions, including that of treasurer. In addition, García has been governor for Bolivia in the World Bank Group, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Financial Fund for the River Plate Basin and a member of the development committees of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund, representing Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay.
He is currently president of the Council of International Relations for Latin America (RIAL), co-chair of the Ibero-American Productivity and Competitiveness Council (CIPYC) and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Trust for the Americas. García is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates and has been decorated by the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and the Sovereign Order of Malta. His accolades include the Award for Latin American Integration from the Business Council of Latin America – CEAL and the Award for Excellence in Regional Integration from América Economía magazine in 2004. In 2005, Latin Finance named him Man of the Year and in 2006, La Razón selected him as their Person of the Year.
García holds a master’s degree in economics and finance from St. Louis University and conducted doctoral studies at American University. He was professor at Universidad Mayor de San Andrés and Universidad Católica Boliviana, both in La Paz, Bolivia, and is the author of various publications.
García joined the Dialogue as a Member in 2000. He currently serves as the Co-Vice Chair on the Dialogue’s Board of Directors.
Video
Enrique García, economist and former president of the CAF – Development Bank of Latin America, has published a new book titled Development and Cooperation in Latin America: The Urgent Need for a Renewed Strategy. It is the seventh volume published in the José Bonifácio Chair collection at the University of São Paulo.
Enrique García, co-vice chair of the Inter-American Dialogue, was awarded the “Enrique V. Iglesias” business award presented by King Felipe VI of Spain during the VVXI Ibero-American Summit in Guatemala.
CAF-Development Bank of Latin America President Enrique Garcia discusses the role of multilateral banks in supporting development.
