The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is returning to Bolivia after a 15-year hiatus. The institution’s president, Ilan Goldfajn, will be in the country on January 13 and 14 to hold a series of meetings with government officials and private-sector representatives, at a time when Bolivia seeks to maintain its level of public investment, stimulate private activity, and access new external financing. Should this meeting take place, it will be the first in 15 years to have the bank’s top authority on Bolivian soil. A visit that would be both symbolic and substantive, and many analysts see it as a new window of opportunity that may lead to increased financial flows.
Diplomatic protocol aside, there is an important economic substance behind the visit. For many years, the IDB has been one of Bolivia’s most important partners in development finance, with a particular focus on highway infrastructure and transport. As a matter of fact, virtually all of the official documents refer to the bank as the country’s leading source of external funding for road infrastructure, financing strategic corridors that facilitate connectivity, trade, and mobility. Thus, when the IBD returns to Bolivia, it is not just a matter of showing up but also of redoubling efforts to build long-term capacities and strengthen development bases.
Goldfajn is an experienced professional in his own right. An economist and seasoned professional in multilateral and central bank institutions, he has led the IDB since December 2022. Before that, he was Director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the International Monetary Fund and previously served as president of the Central Bank of Brazil, leading a period in which inflation was reduced, financial instruments were modernized, and policies won international recognition for their credibility. Such a leadership profile gives weight to the idea that the visit is part of a broader strategy as the IDB returns to Bolivia, rather than a one-time move.
Agenda for La Paz and Santa Cruz
Day one of the visit will be based in La Paz and will include official meetings at the Casa Grande del Pueblo. In this stage, Goldfajn will meet with the economic cabinet and the Foreign Minister, later continuing with a session with President Rodrigo Paz. A press conference will be held immediately afterwards in the same place, to give the public an account of the meeting and expose its priorities. The symbolic character of the meetings – high-level, programmed, and with an audience – conveys the message that the IBD returns to Bolivia willing to reinsert itself in the core of policy design.
The second day of meetings will take place in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with a schedule that includes a meeting with the city’s business community. Goldfajn will maintain a dialogue with the leaders of the private sector about the opportunities that may exist in the financial field as the IDB returns to Bolivia, in projects that could be promoted, and in general, about how to increase productivity and foster economic diversification. Such dialogues are part of the recognition that growth cannot be sustained by public spending alone, but must also involve the promotion of the private sector, the attraction of capital, and the development of competitive sectors that can insert themselves more in regional and international markets.
What does the visit mean for Bolivia?
In the field of international finance, a high-level visit by IDB personnel is often interpreted as a sign of continuity and willingness to design new projects in a country. For Bolivia, which today seeks resources to finance infrastructure works, social programs, and productive projects, these signals are not something to be taken for granted. Documents related to the visit present it as a gesture of confidence that could facilitate the arrival of new lines of credit and foreign currency in a context in which the search for external financing remains relevant. In short, when the IBD returns to Bolivia, it signals that ties built over decades are not lost, but remain alive, adaptable, and capable of updating themselves along with new economic priorities.
Goldfajn himself has stated that Bolivia will be the first official trip of 2026 and that recent adjustments made by the Bolivian government in economic policy, aimed at restoring financial stability and laying the foundations for growth, would work in favor of this type of meeting. In parallel, IDB technical teams have been working in recent months with Bolivian authorities and private organizations on a more comprehensive agenda, to raise productivity, attract investment, and expand exports in the country, issues that become increasingly central to seek sustainable development. The visit, therefore, would not be an isolated exercise of outreach, but part of a coordinated process that is already positioned to turn dialogue into concrete programs.
The IDB’s track record in Bolivia
The IDB has been decisive in the financing of many infrastructure projects that have given shape to Bolivia’s connectivity and integration with its neighbors. In this way, the loans granted by the IDB traditionally have long maturities and development-focused conditions, which are factors that help countries maintain their investments without generating excessive fiscal pressures in the short term. Such characteristics are particularly valuable when governments seek to advance major public works, transport infrastructure, and institutional reforms that take time and stability to bear fruit.
In Bolivia, road projects financed by the IDB have often enabled communities to connect to markets, reduce transportation costs, and access basic services more widely. All these types of investment tend to have multiplier effects, since they not only support trade routes and strengthen supply chains, but also help improve the movement of people, goods, and ideas. Thus, as dialogue is reopened and the IDB returns to Bolivia, many of the actors involved hope the partnership will broaden towards other areas that complement and reinforce infrastructure, such as energy transition, digitalization, climate resilience, and financing programs for micro, small, and medium-sized companies.
A signal — and an opportunity
In short, the upcoming visit represents a symbolic reopening and a pragmatic opportunity. On the one hand, it signals that international partners still consider Bolivia a relevant actor in regional development initiatives, with the capacity to design credible projects consistent with long-term goals. But when the IDB returns to Bolivia, it does not do so only to review existing commitments. In that sense, there is an expectation that this meeting can place an agenda on the table that links the elements of infrastructure and innovation, credit and productivity, stability and inclusive growth.
For policymakers, entrepreneurs, and communities, this is also a moment of reflection on how multilateral cooperation can be leveraged more effectively. The success of the visit, and of the programs that could subsequently be generated, will depend on coordinated action, transparent execution, and a joint commitment to ensure that financing translates into development results that materialize on the ground. If so, the renewed engagement could help strengthen confidence, mobilize resources, and strengthen Bolivia’s capacity to face new economic challenges with greater diversification and resilience.