In October 1985, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) completed its first twenty-five years of operations. The IDB, which currently lends about $3 billion each year to member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, is owned by 43 countries from both within and outside the region. Its cumulative lending now stands at over $30 billion, which has financed more than 1,500 development projects with a total investment of over $100 billion. This article describes the structure and operations of the IDB and the evolution of its role since the emergence of international debt problems in 1982. It also discusses the future role of the IDB.
The Inter-American Development Bank