On September 3, 2026, the Mexico Program at the Inter-American Dialogue convened a discussion with Gabriel Yorio González, vice president for finance and administration at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), focused on long-term growth in Latin America from a multilateral bank perspective. The conversation centered on key financial and economic trends that influence the outlook for Latin America and on the role that multilateral development banks can play in supporting the region’s growth agenda. The discussion also addressed Mexico and some of the country’s longer-term development and financial challenges.
A central theme was the Bank’s efficiency and how it has enhanced its ability to lend by using its available capital more effectively. Through balance-sheet optimization, risk-sharing operations with other multilateral development banks (MDBs), and improvements in the way MDB risk is assessed, IDB Group financing surpassed $35 billion, over 50 percent higher than three years ago, including nearly $20 billion in lending to governments. The discussion also highlighted the Bank’s funding program and its efforts to connect investors more directly with the development impact generated by IDB financing in the region.
It was also emphasized that IDB’s role is to provide financing and support rather than directly implement projects. In this context, the Bank has been working to improve efficiency by shifting resources from project preparation toward stronger support for implementation in member countries.
The discussion further highlighted the importance of private-sector participation and stronger coordination across the IDB Group. Through greater collaboration among the IDB, IDB Invest, and IDB Lab, private-sector perspectives can help identify policy, regulatory, and infrastructure reforms while contributing to the mobilization of additional resources for development.
The conversation also focused on the expansion of IDB’s financial solutions for clients. These include tools that can support currency hedging, disaster-risk coverage, and other risk-management needs. In addition, the discussion highlighted IDB’s work with central banks through its Capacity Advisory Services and Asset Management (CASA) program, including support in reserve and asset management, institutional capabilities, and the development of local financial markets.
The broader discussion also covered Mexico’s long-term growth challenges, financial-sector competition, digital currencies and payment systems, political risk and guarantees, tourism, remittances, and the quality and accessibility of economic data.
This event was by invitation only.
