Enrique V. Iglesias García

Enrique V. Iglesias is one of the most renowned economists worldwide and an indispensable guiding light on topics related to Latin America. Of Uruguayan nationality, he was born in Asturias in Spain, and has become the leading authority on everything to do with the economic situation in Latin America and developing countries in general. Between 1988 and 2005, he was President of the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) (Inter-American Development Bank), which has its headquarters in Washington DC and between 2005 and 2013, he was the Secretary General for Latin America.

He began his career in 1954 as the Director of the Union of Banks of Uruguay and at only 37, was appointed President of the Uruguay Central Bank. He has also shown himself to be an outstanding academic, as professor of Economic Development at Montevideo University and Director of the University’s Institute of Economics.

In addition, he was the UN Assistant Secretary General and Under-Secretary General and also became Special Advisor on New and Renewable Energy Sources to the Director-General for International Economic Development and Cooperation at the UN headquarters.

Iglesias holds honorary degrees from the following universities: Carlton, Ottawa (1991), Autónoma de Guadalajara (Autonomous University), Mexico (1994), Cándido Méndes, Río de Janeiro (1994), Southeastern Louisiana University, USA (2000), Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (National University of San Marcos) in Lima, Peru (2001), Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra de Santiago (Pontifical Catholic University), Dominican Republic (2004), and since 2006, from the universities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Salamanca.