Panama and Venezuela
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José Manuel Soto Suárez was appointed Executive Director for Panama and Venezuela at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C., in September 2026. An economist and career diplomat, he has more than four decades of experience in international relations, economic diplomacy, regional integration, foreign trade, and investment promotion.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the National University of Panama and a degree in Foreign Trade from the Instituto Universitario de Nuevas Profesiones (IUNP) in Caracas, Venezuela. He also holds Master's degrees in Political Science and Public Administration and in Diplomacy and International Relations, both from the Technological University of El Salvador.
Throughout his professional career, he has held senior positions in Venezuela's diplomatic service and in public institutions responsible for trade, energy, and international cooperation. Most recently, he served as Director General for Integration and International Affairs at Venezuela's Ministry of Petroleum and as an advisor to a PDVSA joint venture. Previously, he served as Vice Minister of Trade, member of the Board of Directors of the Foreign Trade Bank (BANCOEX), Coordinating Director of Venezuela's Commercial Offices Abroad, and member of the Board of Directors of VEPROX/PDVSA.
He has extensive experience in international economic and trade negotiations. He served as Venezuela's Chief Negotiator for the CAN-MERCOSUR Economic Complementation Agreement (ACE-59) from 2003 to 2004 and was a member of the negotiating team for the Venezuela-Central America Trade Agreement. He also served as Venezuela's Alternate Representative to the Commission of Trade Ministers of the Andean Community (CAN) and as Presidential Commissioner to the Colombia-Venezuela Commission on Integration and Border Affairs (COPIAF).
His diplomatic career includes assignments at Venezuelan embassies in Colombia, Argentina, El Salvador, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Iraq, where he worked on economic, commercial, political, and international cooperation matters. Among other responsibilities, he served as Minister Counselor, Counselor, Head of the Economic and Commercial Section, Head of Commercial Office, and Acting Consul.
A specialist in export and investment promotion, he has led business internationalization programs and coordinated economic cooperation initiatives. These include the overall coordination of the First Venezuela-Argentina Macro Business Roundtable and the promotion and establishment of binational chambers for trade integration between Venezuela and Ecuador, Panama, and El Salvador.
His professional experience is complemented by an academic career as a guest lecturer and speaker at institutions throughout Latin America, where he has taught courses and seminars on foreign trade, international marketing, export promotion, and international relations. He is the author of The Role of an Embassy in Promoting Trade and Investment and has published opinion and analytical articles in media outlets in Venezuela, Panama, and El Salvador.
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