MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Key IDB Chief's visit to Bolivia announced

Goldfajn's trip comes 15 years after the last visit to the landlocked country by an IDB head

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Ilan Goldfajn is visiting Bolivia between Jan. 13 and 14, marking the first time in 15 years that someone in his position has become interested in the landlocked South American country, signaling a shift in international financial relations under the administration of President Rodrigo Paz Pereira.

The trip is expected to bridge high-level government policy with private sector expansion. Goldfajn’s itinerary covers the country's two primary economic hubs.

On Jan. 13, Goldfajn will meet with President Paz at the Casa Grande del Pueblo in La Paz following technical sessions with the cabinet's economic ministers. The discussions are expected to focus on a “comprehensive strategy” to stabilize the economy and secure external credit lines.

The following day, the IDB head will travel to Bolivia's industrial heartland of Santa Cruz de la Sierra to meet with strategic private business sectors. The focus will be on boosting productivity, attracting foreign capital, and diversifying the nation's export portfolio.

Goldfajn has publicly endorsed Paz's recent package of economic reforms, describing them on social media as a “timely and necessary step” to restore stability. This support came at a critical juncture as the new administration seeks to distance itself from the volatility of the previous year.

The Brazilian executive's visit coincides with emerging data showing a cooling of the inflationary pressures that plagued Bolivia throughout much of 2025. The country closed the year with a cumulative inflation rate of 20.40%.

While inflation peaked in October, the Ministry of Development Planning reported a slowdown in December (0.59% monthly variation). For the second consecutive month, more items in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket saw price decreases (47.6%) than increases (44.1%), a trend the government attributes to exchange rate stabilization and improved fuel supply.

As Bolivia’s primary external financier for road and transport infrastructure, the IDB’s renewed presence is seen as a “green light” for international markets.

Development Planning Minister Fernando Romero emphasized that Goldfajn's visit was “extremely important” for unlocking long-term loans with favorable conditions, which are vital for public investment without creating immediate liquidity crises.

At the same time, IDB technical teams are reportedly already on the ground, working with Bolivian authorities to align the bank’s lending portfolio with the government’s new productivity-led growth model.